Chained
by Kimra
Summary: If fate had not been kind, if Daine had not escaped the hunters of Snowsdale, things could have been different...
1. One

**Premise: Instead of rediscovering her humanity Daine was captured by the hunters of Snowsdale and sold. (This story contains MATURE CONTENT, if this is a problem, turn back now!)**

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**Chained**

Part One

**by Kimra**

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She stared at her reflection, wondering what it was she was staring at. Thick brown curls tumbled about her face, framing it and accenting the nicer of her features. There was a sadness in the eyes that stared back at her, a hollow acceptance of the world around her, and she wondered how no one else saw them. Her face was pale, her lips pouty and dark, and scattered across her neck and below was an assortment of bruises from the night before. They rarely touched her face, so few of them could afford to damage her face.

She brushed her fingers against her bruised throat, her hands shaking as she fought the angered tears that welled in her eyes. She felt the anger twist inside her belly, crying out words she could never mutter. A tear slipped down her check and as quickly as she could she brushed it away. Her face suddenly didn't look as attractive as it had, her eyes red, thick lash's mated with the escaping tears, and the sorrow radiating from an expression no one could decipher incorrectly.

She raised her hand to the mirror, wanting to trace the tear lines of her reflection but her hand never made it. As always the chains binding her wouldn't let her reach the glistening reflection. She strained against the restraints trying to break through her boundary's.

The rattle of keys made her jerk back, fiercely brushing at the tears collected on her checks, the chains rattling vindictively as she did so. She sniffed quickly to try and hide the evidence of her emotions but knew it was impossible.

A small red head popped into the room, a bright smile across her face when she spotted Daine.

"We're expecting a big lot of important's this afternoon, so the healers doing rounds, and his being told to fix everything we ask!"

Daine watched the girl enter the room, always keeping beyond the reach of the chains. She might have been happy, but she knew the rules just like everyone else in the building. Daine remained perfectly still as the girl walked about the room keys in her hand and bobbing about. There was something simple about the short red head, something that Daine accepted but that did not make her safe.

A taller man followed the girl into the room, looking carefully about the room, before eyeing Daine suspiciously.

"Will she bite?" He asked uncertainly.

"I'd be doing the healing from over here, if that's what your asking." The red head nodded her head to the comfortable bed across from her, out of the chains reach.

"It will make it more difficult." He probed as he fanned his dress robes out to sit on the edge of the bed without crinkling them.

"And by that you mean more expensive." The red head replied flippantly. She smiled quickly at the still bland expression of the healer. "You can approach her if you want." The smile became dangerous. "But we ain't paying your healing bill."

A sniff was the only reply the red head received before the healers eyes closed. Daine tilted her head, staring at the man as he muttered strange enchanting words, a low growl escaping her control as a stream of azure light flickered from his hands and twisted across the rooms distance towards her.

"None of that!" Came a sharp command and something heavy landed near her feet.

Daine's eyes turned to assess the pillow in her reach, and snatched at it before the reprimanding red head could react. She glared down the girls scowl as she hugged the pillow to her crouched body, relishing the softness in her grip. Her attention so fixed on staring down the challenger for her prize that the healing washed over and away from her without complaint.

The red head took a step closer, and Daine allowed the growl in her throat to erupt. She would fight for her prize, she would kill for it, and she certainly wasn't going to let go of it without being beaten into submission. When the red head took a step closer, still beyond the chains reach Daine dived forwards fingers poised like claws, the girl jumped back in place beyond Daines circle of movement. Daine retreated to her pillow, clutching it again, eyeing the two humans in the room, ready to pounce, but doubting it would come to that.

There where important customers on the way, they wouldn't risk a beating for a pillow. Maybe latter she would be charged with blood, but not today. She kept her gaze threatening and possessive all the same, not flinching as the tall man looked her over assessing and left, nor as the red head gave one last futile glare and left.

The door clicked closed between the two, and forgetting about the mirror Daine scrambled to the rickety bed that was hers and tucked the pillow beneath it, nestling it amongst the rotten pieces of linen that were hers alone.

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	2. Two

**Chained**

Part Two

**by Kimra**

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Daine came to consciousness instantly, her nose flaring as she breathed in the scents of the room around her trying to detect the reason for her awakening. Eyes flicking across the rooms floor boards to check for intruding feet. She didn't move, instincts telling her to keep herself hidden beneath the motley bed where she slept.

Her newly prized pillow was nestled between arm's, legs and tucked below her head, her body curled around it, head facing the door, back against the wall where it was cushioned by her old linen.

A rattle from beyond the door and her body stiffened, the noise familiar, and the reason for her return to the realm of the aware. She knew it was key's, but not at her door, not yet. She curled herself into a tighter ball about the pillow, keeping the whimper at bay waiting for that rattle to sound beyond the thick wooden door that signified the second layer of her imprisonment.

Boisterous laughter echoed from the hall, a chatter of conversation. Daine dug her fingers against the floor, eyes unblinking, mind haphazardly shifting through those plans of escape that always taunted her but never worked. She drew a breath into her tight lungs, small beads of sweat forming on her upper arms and the back of her neck.

She listened intently. Heard the click of heals that meant the raven lady was accompanying the group and a harsh male snort Daine recognised with disgust as her owner. She assumed this was the group the red head had been talking off, the important's that where expected.

The rattle sounded outside her door, the grating sound of the metal key sliding into the lock before the deafening click as it turned signalling the arrival of torment at her door. The wood swung open and noise from the hall thundered in shocking her delicate ears with it's volume.

"This one's for you sir. She's the favourite with all our best customers." The Owner blared with overloud enthusiasm.

Daine curled tighter into her ball, eyes fixed on the black polished boots that stepped through the open door.

"I have no interest in your best. I have women enough where I am from." The voice was calmly dismissive, but she saw the edges of The Owners feet lingering in the doorway.

"Of course you do sir." He sounded less sure of himself then usual, more willing to please. "But none of them would be so…" She could hear the smirk rise on his lips, had seen it enough times to know. "…energetic."

"We will send a girl to you to explain the room's amenities at your convenience." Was the crisp female voice of the Raven Lady. "But a word of warning, she's feisty, and has a tendency to scratch. So if you change your mind be sure to take complete control."

"Yes yes, but it's all very simple. Nothing an intelligent man like you wont be able to figure out should you change your mind." Again The Owner snorted and the rattle of keys spiked her attention. "The key to your room. I assure you, privacy is guaranteed." The Owner's feet stepped forwards, that rattle sounded again, and then the Owner was gone, the heavy door closing behind him.

A sigh escaped the man belonging to the black boots and she watched those feet move towards the door. Heard the keys twist in the lock and then the clatter as they where carelessly thrown across the room… away from her.

She didn't move, barely breathed, her attention focused and unwavering. Her fingers dug into floor and pillow alike, her eyes wide, alert, her body tense ready to react but reaction was unnecessary. Instead the man she was focused on, settled onto his own bed, the comfortable bed her chains never let her reach and soon after the night air was filled with soft snoring. But she never relaxed, she never moved, she never let her guard down.

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She was still awake when the sun filtered through the thick curtains, illuminating the room with a soft glow. The stranger man seemed unaffected by the sun, even as the temperature of the room rose with the passing minutes. She knew from experience that by midday the room would be stifling if the mage stones weren't instigated but the slumbering man remained blissfully unaware as he continued to snore softly.

Listening to the unwavering rhythm of his sleep, she gnawed at her lower lip, wondering exactly where he had put the keys. Perhaps it was silly of her, to even think of such things, but she could not repress those small hopes that wormed their way into her mind.

And raising to the last strands of courage in her body she silently shuffled out from beneath the bed, leaving the soft pillow and her haven. Her eyes went to the hidden form sagging in the midst of the giant bed, and she listened intently for the snoring to indicate he was still asleep, only content when the rhythm had been continued for some time. Then her eyes jumped through the rest of the room, scanning bench's and floor for the keys that symbolised one of her few hopes.

They where sitting on a table beyond her reach, gleaming in the lights reflections. Immediately she cursed her false hopes, wishing they would leave her to her misery, because it hurt so much more when she found them unfounded.

Attention removed from the keys she realised something was wrong, something had changed. The room was deadly silent. Her attention jumped to the man on the bed and found a pair of frowning eyes fixed on her. Fear coursed through her, a fear that left her unaware of anything but the knowledge that she was vulnerable, more vulnerable then when she hid below her bed.

As quickly as she could she dived back into her sanctuary, her chains tangling on the bed leg as she tried to pull herself beyond the reach of any man. She knew it was useless, she couldn't remember the number of times she had been dragged back out from her haven, but she was safer here then anywhere else, and it was the best she could do.

The man cursed loudly, but his feet did not leave the bed and he did not approach her escape.

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	3. Three

**Chained**

Part Three

**by Kimra**

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Daine had not moved, her arm pulled from the angle the chain still wrapped about the bed leg forced it to. But she dared not untangle the mess she had made. It was stupid of her to be so careless. However long she had been trapped here, she knew it was long enough to know better, yet still she had made a mistake. Leaving the safety of her bed had been mistake enough, but the chain could be her easy undoing.

If she could count time as she used to it would have been very little time that she had spent crouched awkward under her bed, but to her adrenaline pumped body and mind it felt like many strenuous hours had passed.

The man made another noise, a sort of disgruntled sigh. These days she understood noises better then words but fragments of memories told her there had been other times before, how long ago that had been she could not tell.

She heard the soft scuffling feet of the short red head who always tended her room. Knew from the feel of the building around her, the buzz four story's below in the kitchen, and the scuffle of servants in the court yard that it was now a meal time. Today she was not guaranteed a meal however so she did not let the anticipation of a poor meal get to her.

There was a soft knock to the door, a murmur of annoyance from the girl on the other side as pottery rattled against each other. The bed creaked as the man rose from it, unfolding his length with a murmured oath before the clatter of keys sounded and he approached the door.

Daine watched everything she could see from her skewed position under the bed. Hunting him as she tried to hunt them all. Tried to find the weakness that would eventually set her free. She had made only three attempts at escape in her time, each had failed worse then the previous one, but she refused to stop trying yet. And hunting the prey was the beginning of any ambush.

The door opened slowly and a strained silence filtered through the air. Perhaps the red head expected him to say something first, perhaps she was in awe of him and had forgotten her usual greeting, perhaps he was giving her such a threatening look she was reconsidering her approach. What ever it was the girl overcame it only after the silence had been stretched to breaking point.

"Oh umm…" The girl fumbled, the rattle of pottery and metal filled the air. "Ops!" There was another clutter of noise and once more silence reigned.

Daine inched closer to view the scene, careful to keep her chain silent.

The customer had caught the red heads tray and was holding it easily still. Other then the motion that he must have made to steady the tray he seemed unmoving. The red head flushed brightly.

"Right." She muttered to herself more then him. "This is food, for yourself and umm…" she waved a hand quickly towards Daine and Daine retreated a little in case his eyes skipped to her. But he still remained unmoving. "Well, that is if you want her to eat. It's the general rule, as long as she's alive by the end of your stay and your willing to pay the healing bill you can do as you please."

"What if she's not alive?" His silky voice was a dead whisper of ice and Daine couldn't help but pull back from the meeting, no longer wanting to watch it, threads of fear telling her she was not going to be alive for long. The red head shifted her feet for a few seconds, nervous or uncertain.

"Umm… I don't know. I'll ask the boss."

"Don't bother. Money, I've found, can buy anything. If it comes to it I'm sure your boss and I will be able to come to some sort of arrangement."

"She's pretty expensive." The red head interjected quickly, thoughtlessly. "I mean… umm… well she's kind of a favourite with some of our more umm… exotically tasted customers."

"Exotic?"

"Well umm… she's so young and all, I mean her figures not very developed… and well I'm told the more some fight the more some enjoy it." Thickness filled the air, a deadly thickness Daine could feel in her bones and it came not from her. "And she always fights." The red head murmured, a tinge of pity etched into the words, and the girl seemed to realise what she had done because she reverted back to the cherry red head she always seemed to be. "Anyway!" She almost bounced with the sudden energy in her voice. "I'm here to show you around the cabinets and the like. There are several interesting potions at your disposal that do work on her, though I warn you getting her to take them can be a process of weeks and weeks of starvation. Usually the chains are preferred, and I'd be willing to-"

"Go away." He ordered in a heavy voice. The red head stopped immediately her breath drawn in sharply.

"Umm…" she seemed lost in her daze again. "Well if you need any assistance with anything, the summons stones are on the desk over there. And anyone is of service to you. If you need someone to hold her down-"

"Did I not just tell you to go away?" He interrupted the beginnings of rage in his voice. The hair at the back of Daine's neck was on end, and she wondered if the girl would be smart enough to run while she could. If chains had not prevented it Daine knew she would not have been in the room.

"Yes my lord, I'm sorry for the intrusion." The red head whispered submissively and made a quick and wise retreat, the door closing behind her and the man once more twisted the key in the lock. He sighed again, and Daine recognised it as resignation.

Then he turned towards her bed and took the first dangerous step closer.

Automatically she growled, a low throated growl, the kind of growl that in the wild any creature of intelligence would run at. He paused, and the rattle of the tray sounded once more.

"Don't worry little cat, I'm not going to hurt you."

She could see it clearly, the line in her mind that told her how far her chains could reach how far she could reach for the door, for the escape or anything. Her life set out by a line only she seemed to understand the exact limits of. He stepped over that line carelessly and she readied herself for the fight that would ensue.

Her finger nails dug into the wood, in and out reflexively. Her eyes adjusted perfectly to the light, her hearing strained for the slightest sound of a blade or weapon that he might have so far concealed. Nothing came but the rattle of the tray as he balanced it carefully.

He came closer, still slowly, saying things she wasn't listening to, wasn't able to understand as the fear inside her increased. He had asked if he could kill her, asked what would happen if he did, and although she had feared for her life many times since she came here, she truly believed this man had the power to destroy her. Her low growl got louder, making certain he could hear it. The warnings of a trapped animal, ready to embark on it's greatest victory or it's last stand.

Still slowly he approached, unperturbed by the noise's she made or the threat that hung in the air so obviously. Again she modulated the growl, it came out harsher, tighter, louder and more brutal but his feet did not waver. At the end of her bed, when his feet stopped she prepared herself to attack, allowing memory's of freedom to fuel her anger, memory's of friends to sharpen her wits. But she still did not pounce, a reluctance to enter her perhaps final battle leaving her attack till the last second.

He drew no closer then the end of the bed, although she was not fooled and knew he had perfect access to the chain she still had wrapped securely around the bed leg. Then confusing her, he calmly placed the tray at his feet and walked away.

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Daine didn't touch the food, couldn't bring herself to move towards the food for hours. And all the time she spent deliberating over the meal that had been placed at the end of her bed she listened to the man who had put it there.

There was not silence but it was close enough. His clam soothing breaths where even and sleep like, though she argued with herself that she had thought him asleep last time and he had woken. Not that he was asleep now, there where no snores, no light shifts on the bed. The lack of movement was deliberate and offsetting.

She bit down into her lower lip her nose flaring as she took in the scents of the meal before her.

She did not fear poison as much as normal. He had not had time to retrieve any of the cabinets poisons and she had learnt over time that the poisons men carried with them where rarely powerful enough to effect her. So she shifted a little closer, taking deep breaths, hungry but willing to ignore the food at the first sign of taint in it.

She kept her eyes on the bed he was on as she approached the tray, wearily careful, waiting for that first sign to show her if he was a threat or if he truly had placed the food there without ulterior motives.

When she saw him, she couldn't help but frown a little. He was sitting on the bed, his legs crossed his eyes closed and a perfect stillness about him that suggested his attention lay more in thoughts then in what lay around him. Slowly, eyes locked on his still figure she slipped past the food, away from the bed and with a skill of silence that was her nature she unravelled the chain she had carelessly tangled.

Then before any trap could be set scuttled back to her sanctuary, drawing the tray after her. And eyes still fixed on the bed, she began to nibble carefully at the edges of the meal, testing for danger.

"Better." Was murmured by the man, but it was so soft she did not flinch at the noise.

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	4. Four

**Chained**

Part Four

**by Kimra**

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Abrupt noise rattled that deadly sense of calm that had settled over the room. Daine jerked back from the tray, eyes flying to the source of the noise with caution. The pounding returned a second latter, more insistent, louder. Daine suppressed the growl in her throat wide eyes fixed, senses on alert.

The man sighed, a soft sound, the kind her mind connected with friendly surrender. He stood from the chair and moved towards the door. For a moment, so brief she ignored it, she worried about who waited for him on the other side of the door.

The quick click of keys, the loud thud of the door as it was pushed roughly open from the other side narrowly missing the man who had fed her as he stepped back.

"Erg!" A harsh voice grunted contrasting with the feminine smell that accompanied the stranger. The door slammed shut and the strange female stormed further into the room, past the man.

Behind the stranger the man locked the door his feet turning to face them and casually he asked something and she replied though the words where shadowed by Daine's scrutiny of the strangers scent. This stranger, this woman, smelt of lavender and blood. She smelt of deceit.

Unexpectedly light flashed before her eyes and through the room.

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"Alanna. Need to talk?" He asked as casually as he could, staring at the red head with apprehension. It was too early to deal with her, to early to deal with anything, and he was already off balanced by the mornings events.

"Of course I need to talk!" Her voice was rough with the suppressed rage, but still loud enough to be heard through the entire building. "And don't tell me to keep quite, Numair! These room's are better sound sealed then the kings spy rooms!"

He should have known that. Of course they would be magically sealed for sound considering the business they allowed to go on in these rooms. His eyes flicked only momentarily to the rustic bed across the room seeing only the one concealed chain that led from the furthest wall to below the beds frame. He saw Alanna follow his glance to the bed and felt fate setting him up for another argument with the red head.

A frown pulled at her brow, little and uncertain, her eyes flicked from the rustic bed to the lavish bed he had slept on, then back again.

"Why does your room have two beds?" she asked mildly puzzling over the scenario on her own. He doubted it would be wise to answer her especially when she was already in a mood from what she must have just discovered. The tour the night before had gotten rid of her first as if she had been unwanted. It had become apparent rather quickly afterwards why that had been.

He flicked his hand to the door, an absent gesture that came from habit over the last few years. Too often he had been worn so much that even the slightest gesture helped. His magic touched the door and expanded, quickly enveloping the entire room in a black hue that would seal them even more from prying ears.

She looked from her scrutiny of the room to him, standing like a warrior, legs apart, face hard. "You know this is a brothel don't you?"

He gave a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck eyes not leaving her. "I had the pleasure of discovering that particular piece of information last night." Her eye brow rose in question and he shuddered at the enquiring expression fixed on him. "Once they had tucked the only woman in the party away, they gave the men a proper 'tour'." His eyes darkened, he knew they had because there was a rooted anger in the pit of his being that stirred with his memory.

As if reminded, his eyes involuntarily jumped to the rusty bed and back. This time however Alanna did not notice.

"We weren't prepared for this!" Her voice rose again, that wonderfully unpredictable anger of hers rising to the surface.

"Did they offer you a man or a woman?" He asked it silkily, unimpressed with himself for letting the words escape but too aggravated to prevent them. Her eyes darkened to match his.

"I'm talking about our Job here Numair. Half the men where so unsure if they would get into trouble for it they tossed the girls out, the other half…" She rolled her own eyes to show what she thought of their behaviour the anger still simmering beneath the surface. "If we had known what we where getting into-"

"The King obviously wouldn't have sent you." He tried to sooth.

"Sending a female to a brothel would be one of the stupidest things Jonathan could do, and he knows it. It's too odd, too out of place and Grevin Debac isn't going to let you out of his sight if he thinks anything's out of place."

"So it will just take longer then we thought it would. I'll think up a fabrication to get you and most of the guards out of here without arising suspicions and then see what I can find."

"It's not going to work Numair! Besides your going to need one hell of a story to make it plausible." She was angry, very angry and just a tad agitated, but he was all to used to her reactions by now.

"I'm a spy, this is my job." He tried to be persuasive, there was no way they where leaving without the information they sought and they needed to do it as covertly as possible.

"Your only a spy this week Mage, last week if I recall you were a court layabout." There was a mocking bite to her voice.

"Yes but I've been a spy before. I'll speak with Grevin, tell him I want to get rid of you so I can enjoy the hospitality here a bit more." His eyes rolled involuntarily, even if he had purchased a nights company once or twice before this entire establishment reeked with something he would never willing associate with. "Then in front of everyone I'll give you an excuse and as you are my ignorant sister you'll accept it and be off with most of the guards. Because women are weak and need more protection." The last line was in humour, and he saw her expression scrunch in predictable disgust. "That should defuse the situation."

"In the mean time your stuck here without back up, trying to find the information we need, and fending of ravenous whores… literally." Her anger seemed to be giving way to frustration and he could perfectly understand that. The situation in less then twenty-four hours had doubled the problems it had originally presented.

"I don't think they'll bother me." He drawled it, eyes once more flicking to the bed. He could see the girls blue-grey eyes watching them, focused perfectly on their exchange and he wondered if she understood it.

"Why is that?" Her anger was replaced by curiosity.

He gestured towards the bed. "I've already got their favourite toy."

Alanna turned to look at the bed and frowned a little, she took a step towards it to investigate and immediately low growling sounded from where the girl hid. Alanna stopped her steps glanced at him to be sure it was safe then knelt down looking below the bed.

He watched as the colour fled from the warriors face her hands clasping tight against her breeches. "Is that a girl?" Her voice was soft, fragile, very much unlike her usual self her eyes still focused below the bed.

"I think it was. Once." He felt himself frowning then pushed the expression away forcing his attention onto matters of importance. "But so long as she's there I can pretend I'm using the facilities provided and if they offer me anything else I'll make it clear I'm not interested in anything else."

"Unless of course you are."

"And here I had begun to think you thought better of me."

"We all know you like your female company."

"Not here. I don't like the feel of this place."

She puffed out a harsh breath, then tried to smile. "I'll be waiting at the last village we passed through. Its in range for a summons spell if your in a fix."

"Mithros Luck, Alanna."

She looked only briefly to the bed but he felt the regret in her as she left the room. There was nothing to be done for the girl and they both knew it, but neither he nor Alanna had ever been good at believing in lost causes.

"Mithros Luck." He murmured to himself before turning back to the room and all it's troubles.

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She did not know how long it was, how long it had been since he entered the room the first time but Daine knew some time had passed. By far, more time then it had ever taken any of the previous men in the room to capture her. And she was beginning to suspect he wasn't going to do anything to her.

It was alarming, that he was so different from anything she had ever met before, because it left her weak and inattentive. If he had struck her, tried to claim her, even succeeded she would know how to deal with him, she would hide, she would scream and claw and fight, and when he wasn't near her she would stalk and hunt waiting for the weakness, for the moment of attack to arrive. But he did nothing, casting few glances at her while he was ideal in the room and her guard was beginning to drop.

This man was not prey, not an enemy, but he was not kindred nor friend and it left her confused. An emotion she had not felt for so long it was alien.

But she could not help the trust that built inside her either, the more he ignored her, or barely noticed her the more she felt he would continue to do so. Men had set such traps for her before, but never with the patience or the skill that would be required to appear as this man did. Then there was his scent, strong, easy, never cautious or aggressive and ever so calming to her frayed nerves.

He had let her eat every meal, put it at the end of the bed each time, and she could recall nearly fourteen such occasions now. She had been suspicious at first, unwilling to take the food until he had left the room, then he only had to walk away. She always checked for poison through, her noise and senses working on overdrive to be certain he did not sneak anything in without her notice.

She found herself becoming more and more curious of this oddity of a man, wondering why he did not trouble her or ignore her entirely. So she watched him from below her bed, watched his every move, but what would be caution with any other man had become lazy interest and her attention would sometimes waver from it's task to things less significant like the warmth of the day or the calming midnight breeze that bore to her the scents of the elusive forest.

She heard him curse something softly and brought her attention back to him. He was sitting at the table, a table he was at a lot, usually writing something of importance to him. Right now with his back to her she couldn't see if he was writing or not but he continued to softly mutter things to himself.

Curiously she inched from her hiding space, ready to retreat at the slightest sign of danger, and drew closer to him. She wanted to know what he was saying, what the words meant, but right then she wasn't even sure if he was speaking a language she had ever known. Still she sat in the open, silently listening to the words he spoke, trying to make herself understand them.

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	5. Five

**Chained**

Part Five

**by Kimra**

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Numair stared at the letter with discontent ill-humour. If he had assumed things would become easier to investigate over time he had been sorely wrong. Pride it seemed never failed to prove one's undoing. He could think of very few positive points from this whole ordeal and none of them outweighed the negative.

He rubbed his left temple as he stared at Alanna's letter. Jonathan was doubting and that meant the whole operation could fall apart at any second. It was frustrating to know that so much effort had been exerted in their attempts and suddenly they where being blocked by a man who was almost insignificant in the greater pattern and the King was losing hope.

The balance of the room shifted. She was watching him again. Numair sighed against the feel of intelligent eyes locked on his back. If it was anyone else he knew he could ignore them but there was something in her presence that demanded attention.

Another sigh and slowly he twisted his head around and met her stare, she didn't flinch. The first time he had realised she had left her safe haven she had ducked back below it the moment he turned. This was becoming a regular occurrence however and the girls daring was growing bigger with each encounter. He admired her courage and chastised the curiosity that must have propelled her closer every time.

He knew from simple observation that she couldn't reach him, that her chains kept her locked to her barren side of the room. So he was not worried about that. But when he left if the daring was still there, if the courage had not abated the next man she encountered would break what spirit she had regained in his presence.

He looked away from her quickly, forcing his attention on Alanna's letter. The last thing he needed to do was think about the girls fate because if everything went well, though there was no indication that would happen so far, he would leave with as little attention on himself as he had entered. That meant everything had to be left as it was found, including her.

She began to growl. He tried to ignore it, no one else was in the room but she did it sometimes. A habit he guessed, a habit of a mind that had been forced into another world to protect itself from the abusive world around it. He had read about such things before, even encountered it in several differing forms.

He tired to focus on the letter, tried to ignore the rattle of chains as she slipped back into her hiding place then realised exactly what the warning had been. A click of his fingers and Alanna's letter was gone just as a knock landed on the door. He had to admit, he thought wistfully as he rose, however broken she might be her hearing lacked for nothing.

The knock sounded again, impatient. Numair opened the door and met Grevin Debac's wife's scowl with one of his own. The black haired pretty lady was anything but desired company. He had never been able to understand how a woman came to associate and willingly marry a man as decrepit as Grevin. Usually men like him had a mouse for a wife, a woman who would scurry away the second she could, never speak out of turn and always devalue herself. The sheer strength of Jesika Debec's personality suggested she had entered the relationship with complete knowledge and understanding of what he did and she simply didn't care. Or perhaps she found it enjoyable or amusing, either way she was the kind of puzzle he didn't want to understand and was glad he couldn't.

"Are you comfortable?" Black lined eyes skimmed through the room behind him searching out something. He didn't like the attention, the letter must have been detected or perhaps his use of magic in the room. Either meant they where watching closer then he thought, both meant he would have to redouble his efforts. He felt a growl in his throat, he had just gotten used to having his magic at it's full for the first time in nearly two years and again it would be drained away.

"Fine thank you." He hid his frown and smiled charmingly. He tried to imagine she was someone nicer so the smile didn't seem so false. She cracked a half smile at him in reply, it wasn't a heartfelt smile but he doubted she could smile properly anyway.

"So long as you want for nothing." She replied smoothly in a cultured voice. She turned, he went to shut the door then a rebellious thought occurred to him.

"Actually-" He called, propping the door open and leaning against the frame as she turned to face him. "-the girl, she needs new clothes." He put a sneer into his voice a quick sign of distaste. "I'm sick of seeing those tattered rags."

"There's no guarantee she won't defile anything new put on her." Was the careful warning.

"If she does." He replied calmly, meeting the lady's curious look. "Then I'll punish her." He said it casually, the darker tones carring his words without effort.

"I'll have some things sent up by the afternoon." And the lady managed a full smile, just as casual as his words and just as careless. He felt cold as he slammed the door closing himself into the room again. Disgusted that any mention of harm done to the wild girl in the room could put a smile on a face that had before been unmoved.

The gentle rattle of chains and he found the cat-girl was back to her place on the floor, crouched and watching him. He wished for a second that he wasn't so human as he stared into alert blue grey eyes, because if he wasn't so human he wouldn't feel so attached to a situation he should have been ignoring.

- - - - - - - - - -

He was sitting there, in her reach. She could have killed him, at least she thought she could have. It wasn't something she was trying, it wasn't something she wanted to do to him. But he was sitting on the floor across from her, looking worn, but from the things he looked at and the times he left the room when the sky was dark.

Besides warn he looked hesitant, a little unsure of what ever he was sitting before her for. Instinct told her to run, reason told her to stay. He had done nothing to harm, nothing to unsettle, and he was not seated to attack he was seated in an entirely human way that would take his legs far too long to untangle before he could launch an attack.

She stayed beyond his reach in case, but still she did not hide. She watched him carefully. By his side where piles of cloth, cloth that smelled soapy, fresh, almost like him, but not so calming. He was tapping a forgotten finger against his thigh, his frowning attention solely on her. She was a little unsettled by it, but not scared. He had paid attention to her, a little bit, but this was complete attention and she recognised the difference.

"These are for you." His voice was gentle, his tapping hand gestured to the cloth's. She didn't take her eyes from him. He gave a sigh, and looked away from her to the pile. If she where hunting just then he would have died and she knew it. But then she could feel his ease, he wasn't so scared of her as others had been before. "I guess that mean's you should change into them-" He frowned at that and met her eyes. "Do you even know how to dress yourself?" There was hesitation in his voice, worry in his eyes. She tried to process the words for him but some of them didn't make sense. "Do you even understand a word I'm saying?" That was asked softer, she wondered if she was meant to hear it.

He gave another sigh, she noticed he did that a lot, like a man who couldn't help but continue to surrender to what was happening around him. It was a little sad, because she could see he was strong, and even she had never surrendered.

"Okay." He touched at the pile thoughtfully, watching her with that same frown. "I'm going to leave these here. For you. There yours." He glanced at the roof, it seemed a familiar action but she couldn't remember where from so she risked a look up to try and fathom what had gotten his attention. He gave a little laugh and indignant she glared at him, knowing he was laughing at her because the uncertainty in his eyes was replaced by an amused expression. "I have to do some thing, so I'll be gone for a while. Change, or-" He motioned vaguely "-do what ever you want with the clothes." He was resigned again as he rose from his seat, she didn't back away from him even though standing she knew he could kick her.

He wasn't watching her, seemed distracted by thoughts that where beyond her. She moved closer curiously, but he did not stir in response. She reached out to his pant leg cautiously wondering if he was real, if this was some strange dream she had slipped into. Because there couldn't really be human's like him, humans who smelt clean and gave her food and tried to talk to her. Humans who weren't trying to break her with every breath they took in. Even though there had been people like that before.

He moved and she jerked back, recoiling in fear of discovery. Her eyes jumped up, but his attention was fixed beyond the room. Berating herself, telling her heart to calm it's pounding rhythm she watched him leave the room and listened as he locked the door on her again.

- - - - - - - - - -

Hours. He had been gone for so long the bright sun had faded into darkened night. She had poked at the pile of clothes in curiosity, after all it was the first thing, besides her food that he had left within her reach, so the objects bore scrutiny. And she needed to distract herself.

The longer he was gone the more she wondered if he was coming back, if tomorrow the door would open and another man would walk in all smirks and daggers and poison. And everything she was finally able to think beyond would start again.

She knew what they where, she was wearing something like them but these where softer, nicer. The grain of them didn't rub against her skin irritatingly when she caressed the fabrics.

The last time such things had been brought to her four men had held her down while the red head changed her. She would have killed them all if she could have. Would have ripped them to piece's when the chain was taken away for a few brief moments. They had known they would need so many to hold her down when the chain was gone, and even then she had gotten scratches they hadn't expected in. The lost opportunity had gnawed at her so much that they had left her alone for a while, perhaps aware of how truly deadly she would have been if they had disturbed her.

It had happened more then once, she could almost remember it happening ten or twenty times, but she wasn't quite sure of the number. The fear each time had been worse then the experience, the desperation to escape, the knowledge that in those moments she was closer to freedom then any other time she could remember made her more ferocious.

But here where clothes, and no one was holding her down, forcing them on her. She wondered if she was supposed to put them on, wondered if she even knew how.

He unlocked the door cautiously. There was nothing right about this scenario. Nothing was going right, He felt like he was being watched, but he couldn't not search just because of a gut feeling. But searching was futile, there was no information, nothing to connect Grevin to the rumours that had been filtering slowly through to the castle.

He considered the possibility that maybe Jonathan was right, maybe this line of action was futile but it was nearly two years of searching that would go to waste if they stopped now and Alanna would never hear of it. Thayet had been her friend first after all.

The sound of whimpers distracted him as he pushed the door open and the immediate silence that broke through the room alerted weary senses. He would hardly be surprised if an attack came. This place was too clean, especially for an illegal brothel, there should have been some tarnished associations referred to in their books, but there was nothing.

So he prepared his magic as he walked into the silent room and closed the door behind him, the curtains where drawn closed, the room plunged into almost complete darkness. He touched at the light crystals his attention not wavering from the still room, waiting for what ever was going to happen to happen. Ready to fight back when the attack came. But as light flared in the crystals and spread through the room no attack came.

He was mildly surprised though still on edge. He scanned the room until his eyes fell on her. She had tucked herself into the corner of her room. Her chain was hooked across the bed. She mustn't have been thinking clearly, usually she hid beneath the bed.

Again, in case he was mistaken, he scanned the room for any other presence but found it empty.

"Little cat?" He asked carefully and she curled into a tighter ball, her whimpers returning. He shouldn't have been distracted, he knew it, but he couldn't help but be concerned by the sudden change in her demeanour. Aggressive he was almost comfortable with though she didn't seem to be aggressive towards him, but this sounded like a puppy dying and it wasn't a pleasant noise. "What's wrong?" He couldn't help talking to her, she was after all human in some way, and it wasn't the words that mattered, he knew, it was the tone.

He stepped into her territory and she curled deeper into her corner. He was glad she hadn't chosen to hide under the bed, at least this way he could try and help without scaring her senseless. Or at least any more senseless. He frowned.

"Calm down." He instructed carefully, tone soothing. When he crouched down beside her he could see exactly what was wrong and he cursed himself for a fool.

Her clothes where skewed, her shirt hanging from one shoulder the other bare. He knew she had tried to dress, but somewhere in her mind she hadn't understood what the chain around her right wrist meant. He cursed himself again because he should have thought it through himself but in all honesty he hadn't thought she would try.

She had managed the sky blue skirt perfectly, but her efforts with the shirt had not been so successful. He could see she had tried to pull it on over the chain, assumed she had torn the other shirt to get it off, and then he realised what the real problem was.

She was vulnerable and she knew it. Removing the first shirt had left her bare, the inability to put on the second… he wondered if she felt helpless, like a child who couldn't undo their boot ties, and he pitted that just as he apologised for letting it happen.

Carefully he reached forwards towards her, knowing she needed the help he had failed to give so far. She hissed, her body tightening into it's ball. "I'm trying to help." He told her calmly, trying to keep his voice steady although he was bothered by her reluctance to trust him. He could understand it of course, but it didn't prevent him from felling a little exasperated.

He reached again, felt her body cringe when he touched her but pressed on. If she stayed as she was she would freeze or work herself into a higher state of hysteria. His movements where slow, calm, steady, he didn't want to startle her, he suspected her reaction to being startled would be violent.

"Calm down little Cat." He instructed and his other hand took her shackled wrist drawing it towards him. He didn't look at her as her body was pulled to face him paid attention to nothing but the chain. There where bruises around her wrist, scars and broken flesh. He refused to think about it, instead focused his magic into the metal and forced the lock open.

It snapped under the pressure of his spell, falling to the ground between them with a thud. He felt her stiffen, felt her attention shift from where ever it had been onto him and the small piece of freedom he had just put in her reach. He ignored her reaction, speaking calmly, soothingly still. And reached around her for the shirt that still hung from one shoulder only.

She didn't react, he wondered if she was in shock but prepared himself for the defence that would be necessary if she chose to attack him. He had no wish to alert the Debec house hold that he was an adapt mage but if the girl chose to attack he wasn't sure he could stop her without magic, at least not without incurring damage to himself and causing some to her.

He grasped the fabric that hung at her back and drew it up over her bare shoulder. With his free hand he directed her arm into the sleave realising he should have helped her in the first place, but unsure if she would have accepted help from him, especially help changing clothes. Somehow he assumed that would be taken as an attack.

When the material was settled on her arms and shoulders and he had drawn several of the buttons together concealing her body once more he met her eyes. The perfect blue-grey's that stared into him where filled with uncertainty and he found himself compelled. There was something intelligent in her expression that didn't fit with his definitions of mad. The few people he had met who had pulled into their own worlds had been vague, distracted. This girl, this woman had no such vagueness, only an alacrity that was unnerving and an intelligence that was consuming.

Slowly, unsure himself he pulled away from her and returned to the other side of the room. He knew he should have ignored her, forgotten her completely but he also knew now that he had started to pay attention things wouldn't be so easy to ignore.

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	6. Six

**Chained**

Part Six

**by Kimra**

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She rubbed her wrist with a shaking hand, eyes fixed on the chain that had held her. He'd taken it off her, and he hadn't put it back on, and he didn't seem to have even considered it. And then he was gone, back to his side of the room, back to his world. But it wasn't his side of the room anymore, because this wasn't hers. But she couldn't bring herself to cross the boundary, to invade what was his.

It was late now, too late. She could hear he was asleep though she wasn't sure when he had done that. Her heart was beating to fast to hear over, her mind unable to move from the chain on the floor and the wrist it had imprisoned. There was blood in her ears, an overload of her mind. It was what she wanted, had been waiting for for so long she couldn't remember.

If it had been anyone else, if it hadn't been this man he'd be dead. There was no question, no doubt, if anyone else had done it she would have killed without thinking. The chain had fallen and the instincts that had warred for freedom for so long had kicked in but all she had been able to do, to think was 'not him'. She couldn't kill him, couldn't even cross the boundary of her existence because she was afraid still that he would crumble into something wrong and evil and all too human.

Still she rubbed her wrist, trying to push away the bruises and scars. Signs of the imprisonment that he had just freed her from. She should have run, been running, anywhere, but she couldn't move beyond that rubbing motion. And what was for her anyway? Beyond the wall's beyond the windows? She looked to the window. She could smell the forest in the night breeze, like music in her veins in sung and sung begging her soul to follow and surrender. It had been teasing her before, taunting her every moment of every day when she couldn't reach it, and now it was just in arms reach and she wasn't sure if that's what she should be reaching for.

Her body was shaking. Who was to say they wouldn't find her again? Hunt her down and lock her back in. Who was to say the freedom would last more then a breath before she lost it once more? She had never thought this far before. In the dark hours of the night when the human's where sleeping, when she was alone all she had been able to think about was blood and death and ridding herself of the chain. And now it was there she was just as scared of reaching for the freedom as she was of not. If she reached and it was taken away again she wasn't sure she would be able to bare it, if she stayed and never tried at least then she wouldn't know, her memories wouldn't be as fresh and taunting as the faded ones from before.

Too much doubt. Her hand stilled it's rubbing. Doubt wasn't something she was used to. It was an emotion too human to be hers. But she was human, or something else. She wasn't sure which. But then he wasn't human, he couldn't be. So maybe she was like him, or maybe that's what she had been. She didn't know, wasn't sure what she was. But she knew what he was, knew he could help her, knew he would.

She stood slowly uncoiling muscles that had clamped while she crouched thinking. She stepped over the shackle's silently. Nothing rattled, nothing creaked as she moved and she revelled in that almost unnoticeable freedom. She was a predator, and if she chose she could hunt again.

She stopped at the boundary of her world, where the chain had never let her pass. He was asleep, the keys where on his table, the window was open. She bit into her lower lip and watched him, then the window.

He could protect her if she let him. But that too scared her, because maybe he didn't want to. She couldn't force him to help her, couldn't force him to do anything.

So with natural stealth she crossed the border and turned to the window. Nothing was different about his side of her border. The floor wasn't cleaner, the air wasn't sweeter, the leeching feel in the atmosphere wasn't gone, but there was elation in her heart as she pushed on that overwhelmed anything bad and made everything good.

She moved to the window and lent against it's sill, breathing in the air from beyond. She looked out into a world she could reach now. The man made a noise, she glanced quickly confirming it was a sound of slumber that he had not risen then stared back out into the world. The forest wasn't far, down the roof tops and across the barren yard. She reached for it with her mind, felt the tantalizing brush of the kindred's presence. He made another noise and she glanced again, restless noises from his restless sleep. Some of the nights he had slept away without stirring, others he could not find sleep and some like this night he was stuck between the two. She looked away, looked out to her waiting freedom, still unsure.

Something moved in the yard, she ducked down quickly, ordered herself to calm. There where people in their barren patch between building and tree's. She could hear them talking, soft whispers she couldn't hear, wouldn't understand if she could. She kept below the window sill, her head back against the wall, controlling her laboured breathing. If they saw her they would kill her, or worse.

He made another noise and she scrunched her nose at that. He would never be a hunter, even in sleep his body betrayed him. But maybe that's what was so trustworthy about him. It didn't matter what it was though, he was still safe he still would not harm.

She bit into her lip again and let her eyes close. She wasn't sure what to do, but right now the decision wasn't one to be made. The humans beyond the window where blocking that escape and she would wait until it was empty. She refused to risk it all on a chance unless desperation was all that was left. So for now the choice was made, she would stay, with him. He might not want to help her, but he would not harm or hinder her.

- - - - - - - - - -

Numair lent up against the stable wall. He had a headache and he wasn't sure if it would ever go away. If the little cat hadn't been a hindrance on his conscience as it was she had certainly managed to make herself one now. Of course he hadn't chained her again, he hadn't given it much thought. If she had wanted to attack he assumed she would have the moment the chain fell off or at least when he was helping her change. But she hadn't, so he hadn't put thought into the dangers she could present.

It was probably the stupidest thing he had done in a long time and he blamed the mistake on the aggravation of this dead end task. It probably would have been fine if she had any respect for boundaries, but animals rarely cared about the invisible lines humans set and she was very nearly animal.

He had not been prepared to wake with her curled up beside him. He'd called her a cat before, but she had just proved herself true to the name. She had been sound asleep, comfortable and warm. For a girl who hid under her bed all night every night it had been an unexpected action, but then again what had he given her to be afraid of?

It worried him that she was too comfortable, that his presence in her life, no matter how brief, had returned to her the ability to trust. And the fall back to what she had been would be so much harder on her.

What gave him the headache though, what persisted to nag at him was the knowledge that she could have been gone without anyone knowing any better. She could have been out the window and gone and she wasn't. Only a small part of him was glad she hadn't taken the opportunity to escape because attention was not so fixed on him now as it would have been if she was gone, all the other parts wished she had gotten away.

"Curse's." He rubbed his temple firmly, trying to push the headache back at the same time calling forwards a speech spell in his right hand. He had things to focus on other then the Cat.

"Numair?" Alanna's voice questioned.

He looked down at the spindle of magic in his right hand then glanced about him. Nobody was in sight, but that was why he had chosen the spot.

"This isn't going well Alanna." He almost growled it. Too little sleep among enemy's and the fiasco with the Cat was doing nothing for his temper.

"Do you need back up?" She sounded like she would happily charge down from the village and kill everyone. Sitting on her hands though had never been Alanna's hobby so he was hardly surprised.

"I don't know." He gave a sigh. He shouldn't have made the link, but his mind was desperate for something.

"Have you found anything yet?"

"The place is clean Alanna." He felt weary as he told her, the times they had found nothing where beginning to mount against them.

"Too clean?" There was little hope in her question.

"Probably."

"You think they where expecting us?"

It was probable, and that's what made everything so frustrating. "I think Grevin's too stupid to pull off anything like this on his own."

"His wife maybe?"

"Jesika Debec? Maybe. Probably. But then our source was wrong."

"It wouldn't be the first time."

They where both grasping at straws, he knew it as well as she did but sometimes it felt as if it was all they could do. Another sigh escaped him, he had to say it, he would be doing a disservice to his friends if he didn't. "It doesn't matter, as far as I can tell I've looked everywhere and there is nothing to be found."

"We need this Numair." Desperation was not a common tone of voice used by the Lioness but he was becoming more and more used to hearing it.

"I'm not going to get anything Alanna. Either they where expecting us or the information we got was wrong and they have nothing to do with Carthak."

"Numair… if this falls through-"

"I know what it means." He closed his eyes tight against the frustration. "We'll just have to try a different approach."

"We could arrest them for running a whore house."

"And for inhuman treatment." He murmured it to himself, his attention going back to the Cat. "No." He shook his head, forgetting he was alone and the communication was through magic. "It wouldn't work. We have to draw back completely and send someone else latter, when they think the threat has passed."

"That could take months Numair!"

"Better that then it being a complete loss. Yes I know what this means, and it means if it takes months before we can be sure to get what we want it's better then trying to rush it now and lose everything we've gotten so far!"

Alanna's hiss of discontentment filtered through the spell into the air around him and he could empathise with her frustration. "Okay, your right. I'll contact Jonathan, tell him what's happening." There was hesitance in her voice and Numair knew none of the warnings he wanted to voice where necessary, she would deal with everything as only she could. "In the mean time have everyone set and ready to leave. Don't over do it with enthusiasm, and make the lie good."

"I'll tell them my hag of a wife demands my company." He drawled trying to put a bit of humour into a sour situation.

"I'm flattered." She bantered back.

"You should be, I've called you worse since arriving here." He snuffed the communication spell out. His mind and thoughts returning to where they shouldn't.

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	7. Seven

**Chained**

Part Seven

**by Kimra**

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She was crouched by the window, eyes peering over the sill, watching with fascination activities she had only before been able to hear.

Instincts said something was wrong, something would happen, she didn't really care as long as no one saw her. There where men in uniform moving about the barren ground, some of them looked unsettled.

The Raven Lady was watching them from a large doorway, face stoic, body curled and waiting for something. Daine tilted her head and focused her attention on a lady she had rarely seen so clearly. There was defiantly something dangerous about the woman, something powerful and overwhelming that was pulled in tightly and controlled. She had never liked this woman, now she really didn't.

She pulled back into the shadowed room a little when the Raven Lady looked up to the windows. Daine wasn't sure what she was looking at but she didn't think she could be seen. The day outside was too bright compared to the contrasting darkness of her room. The Raven Lady looked back to the gathering of humans the same stoic expression.

Something was coming. Daine could smell it, inexplicably taste the hints in the air that spoke of foreboding. Her kindred had moved on, only humans failed to feel what caused her body to tense and prepare. If blood was spilled she would not care, human blood was worthless blood, but when the scent of death touched the air people stopped caring who they killed and she was well aware of being a victim.

It wouldn't have mattered, none of it was of her concern, until she saw him walk into it all. Her body froze, breath stopped as she stared down at him. He shouldn't have been there, in the centre of something that felt like it was going to break and destroy at any moment.

Daine panicked, her mind racing for something, anything to calm herself down with. Fear pushed through her, fear of losing the one link of sanity she could remember, of letting the first thing of value in her life become endangered.

Breathing broke back into a jaded rhythm, her alert body aware of every move made by the humans below. She couldn't look away, couldn't think beyond the possibility that he was in danger and that she would lose something that had become so oddly important to her. A low growl came to her throat, even hunting instincts unable to suppress it.

She kept a grip on herself. Telling herself he would be fine, nothing was going to happen. So long as he left the field of tension that was building before it swallowed them all he would be fine. But a part of her knew nothing was that easy, and that maybe the reason for it all was because of him. Someone so out of place, so disjointed with the world as she knew it, could easily cause ripples she didn't understand.

The Raven Lady moved, walked up to him.

And every muscle in Daine's body tensed.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Good sir, my husband tells me you are leaving."

Numair paused in his steps and turned to look to the female voice. Jesika Debec had a smile on her lips he didn't want to interpret because like the rest of her it seemed repulsive.

"My wife has sent for me. I was just going to pack." He replied making himself turn to face her, settling his weight so he looked at ease.

"You move so quickly to your wife's call?"

"She implied it was important." He rolled his eyes, trying to display impatience. "Perhaps the whores pregnant at last."

"She hasn't given you an heir yet?" Her interest was irksome and he made no attempt to hide it.

"No." He watched her frown, watched the way she shifted her weight to look a little more seductive and wondered what he had missed. She was trying to be disarming.

"You will stay the night of course? Free of charge." She walked up to him unconsciously, hand settling against his chest. He removed all disinterest from his expression and began to study her knowing it was what she expected and curious of what brought out the subtle attack.

"My men will appreciate that." He gave her a lazy smile the same time wishing she hadn't made the offer, another night would hurt little but his resolves however so he did not fight it.

"It's the least we can do for such good patrons." Her smile wasn't real, was as fake as his and he saw it. A warning shifted through him.

"You've made a fortune from us, of course." He looked from her and about the court yard quickly. The six guards who had stayed with him where there ready to get their things and leave on his command, and a collection of men he didn't know where also littered about the large area.

"We've made fortunes before." She replied with a tone that brought his attention back to her. She was amused, amused and toying. She shifted a little closer to him. One of the men in the background made a noise of amusement at the display, Numair frowned.

"I'm sure you have." He was preparing to send the emergency summons spell to Alanna but prudence kept the spell un-cast. Something wasn't right and he could feel it now that he was paying attention but he couldn't be certain of it and didn't want to compromise himself just in case.

"Yes that's right. You've been in the little girls room. She's quite a catch isn't she?"

He kept the multitude of responses he wanted to voice to himself and instead settled for something vague and non-explicit. "A very interesting room mate."

The black haired woman laughed and took a step away. "They pay the highest for her, you know."

He felt magic in the air. "Are you trying to distract me?" He was incredulous as he stared at her, and at his words the frozen emotions around him broke. The soldiers who had come with him where alert and aware at the tone of his voice, the other men, he realised where just as attuned to it.

Jesika Debec's smile became real as she stepped further away and he was no more comforted by that then he would have been had she drawn a knife. He sent the spell out to Alanna automatically, knowing a trap when it showed itself. "Good mage, your paying attention." The woman taunted but he knew she hadn't noticed the spell because she would have stopped it had she known it was there.

- - - - - - - - - -

It was a mess. Everything and everywhere was a mess. Alanna stared in near shock at what was left of the Debec family. She had come across battle scenes before, when all was done and the dying was all that was left but there was something very disturbing about what she could see now.

No matter how fast she responded to the spell Numair had pushed her way she doubted she would have been there in time to prevent what ever had happened.

Five of the six soldiers who had remained wth Numair where only slightly injured, the sixth was dead. Jesika Debec and Grevin Debec where both dead and she could see neither had experienced a painless death. The injuries probably hadn't been enough to kill, but since the injuries had been made they had bleed their lives away.

The guards behind her moved out past her and across the courtyard, checking to see if anyone on the ground was still alive but she didn't think there was a chance.

"Seal the area off, arrest anyone inside. Whore or Patron we're going to question them." The men looking over the corpses moved from the job at her orders quickly obeying. She had no doubt anyone inside had heard the ruckus of this little battle but the people who had been smart enough to run would be hunted down. Numair's draw back and let them feel comfortable plan had backfired in a serious way.

She looked up ready to tell him and she realised something that had for some reason failed to register in her disgusted thoughts. He wasn't there. "Where's Numair?" Alanna demanded of one of his remaining guards. The man was pale, battle trained men looking pale in this day and age was usually a bad sign but she had known things hadn't gone like they should have from the injuries some of the deceased where wearing.

"He went." The guard replied, eyes skipping across the court yard a little shake in his movement.

"Where?" She demanded, Numair had the power to throw a battle to anyone's advantage, probably enough power to level the entire building, but drastic measures weren't often taken by the mage unless something was wrong. That there where at least twenty men dead on the ground, excluding the Debec couple meant they had been outnumbered, but she still found it odd that he would have resorted to something so drasticly.

"Into the forest." Another of the guards called, he looked a little less unnerved then the first. "He went after it."

Impatience set in. "He went after what?"

"The girl."

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She couldn't breath, couldn't move. There was blood in her mouth, too much blood, not her blood. She could taste it, but it didn't taste good. She was trying to breath through it, trying to move. She wasn't sure if she had killed before, couldn't remember doing it. At least, not for anything but food.

Her body shook, there was water in her eyes and she didn't understand what was happening. All she knew was she had to get away, she had to leave there then. And she had.

There was adrenaline in her body, trying to push her on but she couldn't get herself to move, couldn't run any further on the emotionally strained mind she was making no attempt at controlling.

They had drawn weapons, there had been blood and she hadn't been able to think it through. Too many instincts had demanded she join the fray, and she had.

She crunched the muscles in her hand together digging elongated nails into her flesh. More pain pushed through her, but this was real, more real then anything else but she couldn't get herself to move, didn't really want to move. All she wanted to do was understand.

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Numair kept moving, following the blood trail she had left behind. He'd thought she was a cat, called her that even. But the savagery of what she had just done made him reconsider the name, even a trapped cat didn't respond like that.

He'd followed her though, forced the battle to an end with magic he would usually preserve for important moments but then again one of the soldiers had already fallen, and it was selfish of him not to mention futile to horde the magic 'just in case'. But he had followed her, was still following her, using magic once more he would usually set aside for latter.

He'd seen the look in her eyes, too human to be ignored. If she where animal maybe putting her down would be the right decision but she wasn't and he had seen a flash of horror in her eyes that was like nothing he had seen in them before. For one brief moment he had seen the human trapped in the nightmare and no matter how many times he had realised it before, that moment he had known he had to help her.

He came across her unexpectedly. Heard the sound of his feet falling as she spun around, an alert expression on her face. He froze mid step at the sudden panic he saw in her expression. There was blood on her hands, trails of it from her mouth, a deep gash across her left arm. He tried not to think about it trying to keep his expression which she scrutinised calm.

"Cat." He began calmly but her body tensed at the sound of his voice. A curse ran through his mind but he didn't voice it, lowering his hands to his side, trying to look as relaxed as possible. "Calm down." He told her carefully and took a step towards her.

Her growl was instant, and she shifted away from him on all fours.

He didn't respond to her growl or retreat, didn't look away from the eyes that flicked quickly about him, waiting for what ever attack he may launch. "It's okay." He continued, trying to pacify her. He could see tear tracks streaked through the blood on her face, her eyes red and glazed but still so alert he knew no movement he made would be unnoticed.

A spell came to mind, one that could knock her out until she was in a controlled environment but conscience stopped him from using it. If he forced her to do anything now, there was no saying the kind of damage it would do.

He took another step forwards, ignoring the growl that resonated against the tree's surrounding them. "I'm trying to help you." She wasn't backing away but that didn't mean much. "I want to help you." He could see she was listening, understanding he couldn't guarantee but on a limb of hope, with the knowledge that he could, if necessary, protect himself he pushed on. A step close enough to reach her, but unwilling to be the person who breached the distance Numair brought himself to the ground eye level with her. She was on all fours still, the growl diminished only slightly and he knelt down waiting.

He kept her blue-grey eyes locked with his, watched as her breathing began to calm, could see her body was shaking ever so slightly. "You can trust me. I won't hurt you."

She must have understood something, the tone or the words he didn't know but she stilled, her expression changed from savage animal to uncertain and human and the growl in her throat fell into silence. He didn't breath as she watched him, waiting for what could be the final judgement to pass.

Then without warning she breached the distance between them, curling her body in against his own, hands twining in against his shirt and clinging. He was surprised by the speed of her response, scared that already so much trust had been placed in him. He didn't like people depending on him, but he realised he had just offered that very thing to this girl. He had offered her the right to depend on him, and as he picked her up, listened to and ignored her sound of protest, he realised he didn't mind as much as he had expected he would.

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	8. Eight

**Chained**

Part Eight

**by Kimra**

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Numair watched Alanna as she lent over the sleeping girl feeling tired himself. Somewhere between finding her and returning to his comrades the Cat girl had fallen asleep and it was a luxury he wished he could afford himself.

"What happened?" Alanna asked as sparks of her magic shifted into the girls minor injuries healing them quickly.

He rubbed his brow, trying to push away the headache that wanted to overwhelm him. "I'm not quite sure." He replied evenly. She would have the story from the other men by now, following Cat had taken a fair while. But she was probably hoping for a little more detail from him, or maybe understanding. "How is she?" He asked in a quick attempt at distraction, he was concerned for the girl but didn't think there was anything wrong with her that minor healing spells wouldn't cure.

"She's probably seen worse in her life. A few cuts and bruises." She gave a shrug. "It's mostly stress and exhaustion, nothing that a good rest shouldn't fix." Alanna pulled back from the girl, magic curling back into her control and turned to face Numair. She looked serious as she met his eyes. "We really needed them alive Numair." Her voice betrayed disappointment, a little resentment, and that hopelessness that had begun to eat away at them all.

"They set a trap." He replied slowly, his eyes settling on the slumbering figure. "We where all in the courtyard when they decided to spring it."

"I guess they knew who we where." Alanna interrupted as she fell back onto a stool, looking exhausted herself.

Numair gave a bitter laugh. "At least our information was right." But they both knew the chance of finding anything they needed, with the evidence gone and the conspirators dead, was scarce. Alanna didn't reply, he closed his eyes for a moment before looking out the tent flaps into the courtyard beyond. He reasoned Alanna must have had the tent set up for questioning of the handful of prisoners they had taken. "They had a group of men who drew weapons, and Jesika Debec cast a few harmless spells."

"Harmless, for you?" Alanna inquired and he nodded quickly

"For me." He concurred. "It would have been enough to stop any lower level mage." His eyes went back to the girl and he frowned at the sight, asleep she looked untouched by the afternoon's events, almost serene. "I was thinking through counter spells and the next thing I know Cat was there." He couldn't help but pause as the memory worked it's way though his thoughts.

"Numair?"

"I've never seen anything, anyone so crazed." He was disturbed by what he had seen in her by the wild that had branched out from her clinging onto anything as she had ripped at her prey. "They disserved it, you know." He bit the words out, feeling hatred for the dead and disliking that the anger was there although there was nothing to release it upon. "The things they did-" He shook his head fiercely, he did not want to think about it. He had seen worse, seen far worse in his time but there was something about this girl that made it seem so much more of a crime. "The things she's been through because of them."

"I know." Alanna's hand rested on his arm, calming soothing, her voice compassionate. He didn't know how he had become so angry the contact was needed but the anger subsided at her touch.

"She killed them. With her nails, her teeth. I don't think she cared how it was done as long as it was done. I don't even know how she got there, what she thought she was doing. If she knew." He took a shuddering breath and forced himself to look away from her, forced a little calm into his aggravated system. "I didn't stop her. I could have, easily enough. But I just couldn't stop myself from knowing how much she needed to do that. How much she deserved the right to."

"Numair."

He ignored her, angry at himself. "There was more at stake then some half crazed girl and I froze! I wanted her to do that."

"Numair!" She snapped, and his attention returned to her, forgetting his tangent. "We're human. We're allowed to make mistakes." Her voice was stern, broking no argument and he knew it was true but couldn't help the guilt in his system.

"But what has it cost us?" He met her purple eyes then, could see there was no blame there. "I lost the witness's and let her do something that if she where sane, she probably would never have done. I failed on both accounts."

"Could you have stopped her?" She asked it earnestly, staring into him, refusing him the ability to lie.

He didn't need to lie though, his reply was strong without doubt, he knew what he was capable of. "Yes."

She looked away for a second, refusing to let him see her reaction. When she looked back she seemed calm, almost friendly. "Your tired Numair. I'm going to go and question the people who where still inside, see if they know anything. I expect the others wont take long to round up either. You need to sleep, we'll probably be moving out soon. There's a spare pallet over there." She pointed across the room before standing and without another word, leaving.

Numair rubbed his face roughly, scrunched his eyes together and pushed back any thoughts of mistakes made. What ever discission had been made couldn't be taken back and he as always would do what had to be done to fix those mistakes. Ignoring the offered bed, with a quick glance to make sure the Cat was still asleep he followed Alanna outside.

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She woke slowly, the scent's of ash and cooking meat thick in the air around her. Groggy sleep pushed itself away as she pulled her body upright, trying to recapture her bearings. The bed wasn't soft, but the blankets where, so she knew it couldn't be her room.

If she couldn't remember her last moments before sleep she probably would have panicked. Everything around her was strange and new. The shadows dancing against the material walls where ire but the scent of her human lingered softly around her. Without that reassurance she would have been in a panic and gone.

Slowly, cautiously, hearing the boisterous voices of men she did not know nor trust beyond this new room Daine crept to the passage where the air blew in from. Light flickered against the stark darkness of the night, people talking, humans in quite conversation. The loud ones where further away, not crowded about the… fire. Yes she remembered the word for that, strange as it was it came to her easily.

She heard Him speak and the small amount of uncertainty that had settled into place flicked away quickly. Still weary she slipped out of the room into the open world.

A cool wind caressed her check and throat, the scents of animals and plants thick in it's coils. She breathed it in deep, letting it tickle her throat with it's cold, letting it penetrate her skin. There where animals about, not close, away from the fire and the light it gave off. She could hear them in the forest around them, talking, whispering, moving, hunting. A thrill set in her soul at the knowledge that she could join them, a movement and she would be amongst them hidden from the humans safe and free.

A night bird, swooped in low above her, letting out a cry that echoed her sentiments and she felt a response to the very state of her thoughts in the People. She breathed that in as well, soaking in the feelings around her, delving into the moment that felt so surreal in it's uplifting purity. And when she had to let the breath out, she did so smoothly relishing the knowledge that it would not be the last breath to be taken, nor the last time she would know the taste of this particular freedom.

Then she moved, away from the room, away from the forest, and towards the fire where the voice of the man she knew sounded in soft conversations.

She felt the tensing of strangers as she skirted around them, approaching her destination. Felt the eyes that fell on her even when she was still in shadows. Heard two voice's, the female she had seen before in her room, and the male who was hers, speaking things to the other men that made the tension fade.

When she approached his side by the fire he turned to look down at her crouched form, then spoke in his soothing voice words she did not understand.

She did not try to understand as he held something out to her, knowing that at this moment the words where not so important as the tone. Confidently she took the offered object into her hands releasing a surprised yelp when warmth pooled into her fingers. Automatically her fingers released their grip, and just as quickly, as if anticipating her move his hands caught around hers keeping what ever it was in her grip. It took a moment of contact to realise the warmth was not burning, to push down the instinct to release the object and to relax her arms.

Her attention moved from the first curiosity to the second when she realised contact had been made.

It was funny, he felt no different from any other man. His skin was a little courser then some, softer then others, but it held that definite human quality she had begun to suspect he was void of. For a moment it scared her, the possibility that he was no more different then the rest, but when in startled uncertainty her eyes meet his again she could detect none of the violence she had witnessed in so many before. And what ever fear had crept in during her moment of uncertainty vanished replaced by a timid, almost human, smile.

He withdrew his hands, turned his attention away from her and began to speak with the red haired lady beside him. Daine's attention, only a little rattled by nerves, shifted to the object in her hand.

It was smooth all over, a light brown colour in the light afforded her, and it emanated a warmth that seeped into her cool fingers. Her head titled as she settled her body down comfortably onto the dirt beside Him. Her finger tips explored the surface, it looked like an egg, larger then any she had seen before but it felt too light. Lifting it to her nose she took a deep whiff of it's scent and was surprised, it smelt like food with a sprinkle of pine ash.

Cautiously, aware that He would not have given her something of harm Daine began to pick at the food, testing it. And after she had managed to swallow the first piece the conversations around the fire took up more animation, as if they had been waiting to see her response. She ignored the people for the most part, attention on nothing but the food of which the quality was beyond anything she could remember eating before.

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	9. Nine

**Chained**

Part Nine

**by Kimra**

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They had begun early in the day, long before he was awake, long before he wanted to be awake. But they had rolled him out of his bed and told him to prepare so the tent could be taken down. He had grumbled as they tried to take the tent down around his head, and threatened a few horrible deaths if he was not at least allowed to dress with the security of the tent walls.

It had been a week, sifting through everything that might have been of use, questioning captives, rounding up those few potential informants who had escaped Alanna's initial captures, and just plain hoping for some sort of miracle to help them. They had asked every possible question of every possible person, everything they could think of they had done, they had used magic tricks to make sure lies where not being told and to be certain no other deception was occurring but nothing had come of any of it.

So together Alanna and he had decided it was time to return to the castle, where they could at least break the news to their friends with more sincerity then a distance speech spell could ever allow.

Then they would begin again.

Numair shifted his position against the saddle, still half asleep and certainly not in the mood to deal with anything as mentally demanding as riding.

The travel arrangements had been made the day before, sketchily trying to take everything into account. There had been problems, of course, most of which had stemmed from the full search they had made of the complex on the second day. They had recovered twelve near hysterical and three disturbingly quite females from locked rooms within the building. They had bundled together, refused to talk to anyone but Alanna and shown the results of sever mental and physical battery. Some of them had been able to talk, but as far as could be understood none of them had seen much beyond their prisons since waking up in them.

He had added the charges associated with the women onto the Debec employees arrest papers and sent them off. Thankfully he didn't have to deal with the arrested men and women who had helped run the brothel, they where being tried at Goldenlake which was by far the closest settlement for such a big thing. Half of the soldiers had escorted the prisoners there not long after it was decided they could give absolutely no more information.

Cat had been curious, very curious about the women, but they had been far to jumpy and the girl had been unwilling to go near them after her first attempt. It seemed Alanna was far more predictable then the girls because nothing she did made the Cat scurry away, only on occasion, jump a little. He seemed even less able to startle her.

It had amused the soldiers to no end, that she was skittishly following him everywhere he went. But she seemed not to care, and he hadn't minded because, although curious, she had not gotten in his way on any occasions. He had however been forced on several occasions to order the Cat, like a pet, to stay with Alanna, but there where just some moments in his life that he was not willing to share with the girl, and changing and bathing where somewhere on the top of that list. Alanna, like the men, found it amusing, though he could detect a little worry that Alanna tried to hide from him and he was not self punishing enough to provoke her into explaining the expression.

The Cat had been his biggest concern when their return had been decided upon. He had not been sure how she would take the relocation, or even if she would participate in it. There was every moment a chance that she would just run as her nature seemed to suggest she would. He knew with something close to a certainty that if she went she would be gone for good.

He shouldn't have worried, because she had sat back, watched all the scurrying of packing and taken it in as if it was nothing, then the moment he had gotten her to sit in the wagon because he had no idea how she would deal with a horse or the pace they would travel at she had seemed perfectly settled.

The other women from the complex where much harder to deal with then the Cat. All of them where now travelling with them because they had refused to remain in the near by village and where a bit too scared to travel on their own. It was understandable but they had caused a much larger problem then one Cat who surprisingly obeyed his command.

They couldn't ride because there where no horses for them, they couldn't walk because they where not in the healthiest state, they had refused to ride double with men, and there was only the one wagon which Cat had seemed willing enough to share but none of them had wanted to share with her after having witnessing a week of her behaviour. They considered her sub-standard, which was oddly amusing considering where they had been the week before and that they had then been equals.

Alanna and he had been forced to accommodate them, both too humane to leave the victims behind. It had been decided the wagon could be rotated and so too could the horses and they would, for the most part travel very slowly back down to Corus.

Where the Cat would go when they rotated the wagon was anyone's guess, he assumed the Cat could ride double with him, knowing Alanna would not share and Cat would go near none of the men, but he wasn't so sure how she would react to that suggestion. In fact, more worrying then that was how the horse would responded to a rider who was so very animalistic in her actions.

He would have let her walk, but even at their slow speed he wasn't sure if her animal-like movements would keep the pace and he didn't want to push her in anyway that might unsettle her. She was too delicate to unbalance yet and he was trying to be cautious.

Letting out a yawn despite his best attempt not to Numair glanced over the troop. They had gotten a second wagon which some of the women where sitting in. The soldiers where walking by their horses having to keep the slow pace for the women who where walking.

He looked to the Cat and smiled despite himself. She wasn't like an animal then, sitting in the wagon looking around like a child rediscovering the world around her. She seemed to be entranced at time's by things that passed, by patches in the forest that didn't mean anything and then she would be back to looking around, seeking something of difference and interest. There was an aura of calm throughout the jittery interest, as if she was aware that right there, on the wagon she was more safe then she had ever been in her last home.

Cringing Numair looked away, not wanting to think about some of the things witness's had voiced when seeing her couched form behind him. The guests had mostly ignored her, no idea who or what she was, the employees seemed less ignorant and nothing they had said had helped with the sickened feeling that came every time he let himself think of her confinement.

He frowned as another thought occurred to him. When they got to Corus the women travelling with them would be relocated to a safe haven of sorts. He wasn't sure of the details though he knew of such places set up across the country. But what made him frown was the uncertainty if Cat would be going with them. She belonged with them in a way, but she was also so very different from the rest of the women. The segregation between them was the most obvious sign. And what ever was wrong with Cat went beyond what was wrong with them and despite his best attempts to fight it he felt a obligation to the girl that he didn't for the others.

That's when he noticed. As he sat there, watching her through the corner of his eye trying to decide how he could help her and if it was even possible for him to help her. A bird had landed on the wagon and was staring at his Cat as if she where the most fascinating thing it had ever seen. Birds did that, it was fine, but there was almost no distance between them, and she was staring back with a matching curiosity.

He touched at his magic on instinct, scrutinizing the girl on a level he hadn't bothered with before, and he nearly fell off his horse at what he saw.

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Daine stared at the bird, aware it was watching her. She had felt it land, as if she was looking at it, she had heard it give a call, one in her mind and one in the air around her, but she didn't know what it was saying. Like the horses it's words and meaning where muffled. Almost like the humans, though He was becoming clearer over the days.

It wanted something, she didn't know what, but she reached into her pocket and withdrew some of the crumbs from her breakfast. She thrust her hand at it a bit uncertain and though startled it remained. All she could think of was food, it was free after all, and looked healthy, it couldn't need anything else. And after resettling it's ruffled feathers it obligingly hoped onto her hand and began to peck at the offered crumbs.

Cautiously, her eyes flicking about to make sure no one would see her if she failed, she brought her hand up and began to stroke the soft brown feathers of the greedy little bird. Though it didn't feel greedy, more pleasant then anything else, as if it was only eating because she had offered not because it wanted to. She didn't mind though, she didn't want the crumbs, over the past few days she had eaten more then her share of food, and then again more because He continued to insist that she eat more then she wanted to as if she needed it.

The bird gave a chirp and instinctively she thought it was upset with her touching it. She dropped her hand from it's caress only to have the bird make a noise that sounded much more indignant and demanding. Cautious, bitting into her lower lip Daine reached again and the bird lent into her hand affectionately before giving a last chirp, jumping into the air and flying away.

Daine grinned in spite of herself amused by the creatures antics. It had seemed friendly and she wasn't used to that, but it felt nice and she felt so much better for it. With a smile on her face she turned her attention back to the forest that lined the edges of their road. Listening intently to the unrecognisable voices that continued to reach for her, amazed by the multitude she could hear. Every day she was willing to swear there where more animals in the forests then there had been the day before.

Her senses prickled, and too used to attacks she swung her head sharply to face the cause and found herself staring into His eyes. She was shocked at first, then confused. She wasn't used to being so much the focus of his attention and couldn't understand why it was disturbing her. Her smile was gone as she frowned at his expression and the next moment he was looking away, as if he had never been looking at her but she was no fool.

Cautiously she shifted her weight, nimbly moving across the wagon's contents until she could scrutinize him from closer up. He seemed to be concentrating, fixed in his task on something that apparently wasn't her, but she was doubtful.

He had been grumpy that morning, amusingly so. She suspected he was the sort of creature that wouldn't rise until the sun was at it's zenith if he didn't have to, but he wasn't lazy, no she suspected he would remain awake with the night creatures and lay to rest only when the sun began to rise. But that was inconsequential. He had been grumpy and she had expected that to last longer. Now though he seemed distracted, confused, maybe perplexed. She wasn't sure, she wasn't used to having to read such complicated emotions but she was getting better at it, better at understanding him.

Unexpectedly the wagon stopped, she wasn't expecting it and her perfect balance, which had taken the wagon's movement into account, was shot sending her tumbling to her side. A moment and she was back on all fours, her head whipping around to find the cause of the stop.

The violet eyed woman who smelt like lavender and blood but more of blood today was shouting something to everyone. Daine focused on the woman intently, not letting her other sense fall away but trying to understand the words.

She was distracted from her task when the scent of Him approached and she turned from her task to face him. He was still frowning, looking uncertain but not angry, no that one little bit of fear that had crept into her had gone as quickly as it had arrived.

"Time to get off, Cat." He motioned for her to exit the wagon, and with a quick glance about her to make sure everything was safe she vaulted over the edge of the wagon not bothered to climb over everything to get to the end where he was motioning.

He gave a half smile, as if he would have been amused if he hadn't been distracted by what ever was making him frown.

Tentatively she reached across and touched his hand, wondering what was wrong, and glancing down at her he gave her another almost smile.

"Time to see how you cope with horses." The third smile was almost genuine and she felt worry prick at her. It should have been real, he shouldn't have been worried and it was disturbing to see him so. Okay so he had been worried before, but it had never stopped the smiles he offered on the odd occasion from being real.

He began to walk, she followed quickly, aware that if she wasn't meant to he would have told her. And when he stopped at his horse, she flicked another glance about. There seemed to be a haphazard operation of some sort happening with the men and women. They where all moving everywhere and Daine wasn't exactly sure what was happening, but since He wasn't concerned with it she didn't think she should be either.

"Cat." He began, and stretched his hand down to her. For only a second did she hesitate before she slipped her hand into his grip. Carefully he drew her to her hind legs holding her hips to keep her stable. She stumbled anyway, not quite used to the balance it required but he didn't let her fall, all the while talking lightly, an encouraging note in his voice. The second she was steady he gave her a quick smile. "I'm going to seat you on the horse." He said very slowly, fixing his eyes on hers as if willing her to understand, and she did a little but she wasn't sure why.

The whole process turned out to be rather smooth, although she wasn't sure what was happening at first. She seemed to know what to do despite the fact that she had no idea how she did. And He, as always was very good at assisting.

When he sat behind her she was a bit worried, when his arms slid around her sides to pick up the reins she was looking for an escape, but he kept talking to her and explaining things even though half of it was gibberish she picked up enough and before the troop had even begun to move again she had settled down and relaxed back against him, rather comfortable.

"Tonight, we'll see what we can do for you." He whispered from behind her, and confused she turned a quick look at him to find he was watching her with that same frown. A little worried still she reached up and touched at the crease between his brow and he genuinely smiled, caught her hand and set it aside. "Don't worry, Cat." He told her calmly the smile still on his lips and again she understood.

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	10. Ten

**Chained**

Part Ten

**by Kimra**

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He was frowning still, but that happened often when he had a puzzle to unravel. There where tangles of magic around her, thick blazing copper lines that went beyond his comprehension. Even watching it from where he sat, overlooking the camp with the kind of lofty air most people expected from mage's, he could see it was creeping, growing.

It had shocked him at first, seeing that kind of magic around her, and he cursed himself for an idiot for not looking before. But the years hadn't been good recently and power had become precious even for him, so the little spells he would have cast three years ago out of habit had subsided and faded. He didn't look for anything but threats these days and he hatted that about himself. He used to be academic, now he was a warrior, or as close to a warrior as he could be.

The soldiers where starting to light fires although the sun still lingered on the horizon. They had to pull up much earlier then they would have usually but the women where tired. Camp had been set and there wasn't going to be any more movement for the night unless something serious occurred. At least, Numair knew, at this rate the soldiers escorting the prisoners would catch up quickly.

He didn't approach Cat, who had fallen asleep not to far away from him in the grass. He wasn't sure how to do it but knew it had to be done. Maybe if she was rested when he tried things would work out better, but then it could also be considered the other way around. He had never had to do this sort of thing and was even hesitant to do it.

It was clear from the sheer strength of her magic that she had much more then he had ever seen before, perhaps more then he had heard of, but that seemed unlikely. And it was clear from her behaviour too that this magic of hers was affecting her. It was the magic that made her 'Cat' and not one of the other women, without it he didn't know what she would be, but without it she could have been just like the others.

That's why he was hesitating. Her magic as it was, Wild Magic, had probably shielded her, given her mind a place to escape to that wouldn't destroy her. If he took that away now, what kind of damage would it do to her? He wasn't sure he wanted to know, wasn't sure he was ready to take her defence away from her. But she needed it. He knew now, more then ever that she could be human again. She could function and exist in society and all he had to do was somehow pull her apart from her magic and enforce the separation.

No, not pull, that was too violent and it had to be passive. He would damage her if he was violent even with his magic. She needed to be separated, a shield maybe between magic and self that could distinguish the two. Oh she wouldn't be healed, she would probably turn into more of a mess then the women where depending on how much her awareness existed while in her current state. It could be non-existence and her return to reality could rip her apart with disturbing and vicious memories, or she could just slip into it all with the knowledge having already existed, already being processed.

But he had to try, because it was clear she wanted to fit in somehow. She was trying to come back, so to speak, to humanity as he presented it to her. She was trying to free herself, but he wasn't sure how much of it she could do on her own. He owed her this and he would do it. The moment she woke, he would do what he could to help her.

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Cat woke slowly, stretching the muscles that had tensed in her sleep. She felt cushioned, the smell of wet grass in her nose the sound of animals around her. Horses near by whickering and talking. She couldn't make out what they had to say though it seemed like things she would be interested in hearing.

A soft yawn escaped her as she stretched her arms up above her head and then the sound of human voices interrupted her and she jerked up, eyes flicking to assess the danger. The uniformed men where all about, doing the various tasks that she recognised as routine for their day. The stranger women who reeked of fear and other things less pleasant where about a roaring fire, the sun having faded out and only a light glow dispersed across the tree tops.

She looked about carefully and found Him sitting by his own fire, smaller but enough for him. He had claimed that space as his own even as they stopped and she wondered if he had even moved while she rested. Something told her if he had he hadn't gone far because she would have awoken at the first change around her and she was well aware of his presence now.

Sitting up on her hind legs she glanced about the clearing seeing tents as they where erected and ignoring them. She moved from her warm patch and made her way to him, wondering if she was allowed in his space but he made no protest as she took a seat a little along the log he was perched on. She knew he was aware of her as he poked at the fire distractedly and wouldn't have minded if he wasn't.

He released a deliberate breath after a while and glanced to her. He looked troubled, uncertain. She wondered why and bit her lower lip as she tried to piece what she knew of him together. But it didn't help, he was a puzzle and he wasn't going to stop being so just because she wanted him to.

He murmured something, gave the fire a last poke and stood up. It was abrupt and she was surprised. She met his eyes and he inclined his head away from the hubbub of noise that the other humans and even some of the animals where making.

Obediently she followed as he made a path into the forest, listening carefully around them as the noise faded away. There where still animal's talking, soft cautious voices of the wild, hunters or prey. Some of them scattered at her approach, some lingered strangely as if not afraid or curious. She ignored them all, keeping pace with Him easily and feeling a little rise in her pulse as she tried to fathom why they had left the others.

This was new. She wasn't sure if it was good or bad though.

"This will have to do." He sighed and lowered himself to the ground crossing his legs before giving her a smile. "Sit down here Cat." He motioned to the spot in front of him and she took the almost command. She sat, not like him, but as best she could to meet his eyes from the space before him. He gave a forgiving smile and closed his eyes.

She wasn't sure what was happening, just that there was nothing talking about her, as if the silence between herself and Him had brought forth one in all the other animals about. She liked the silence though, only because she could feel the life around her, if she where completely alone she wouldn't have liked it half so much.

Instinctively she followed his breathing, slowing hers down, listening to him intently and replicating. There was nothing else to do in the middle of nowhere and the dark cool air around them was soothing.

"Let's see what we can do for you, Little Cat." He whispered and she felt him reach across the small distance between them to her. He took a loose hold of her hands, one in each of his and she passively watched, wondering what was about to happen because the prickles of hair on the back of her neck where telling her to be cautious.

"Just breath Cat, don't worry." He kept whispering things, his breathing was even and despite the orders her brain was trying to send to get up and run as fast as she could she tried to obey, tried to calm down and do what he was asking.

Then it happened. And the intrusion was so sharp and unexpected that she responded as if physically attacked.

She wrenched herself from him, felt the slightest resistance to her flight and resorted to a quick attack, claws lashing out in one swipe before she was free and she was moving, running, as fast as she could in the only way she knew.

She didn't stop when she stumbled into the field of people. She didn't register them, only skimmed past as she forced herself away plunging in the forest away from him.

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Numair came to the camp sight with as much speed as he could. He knew he was following her, that was without saying as much because he had seen the direction she had dived away from him to.

Alanna met him with a scowl, she had probably heard the noise the Cat had made in that first moment of retreat. He didn't blame the scowl but he wasn't interested in fighting her until he knew where the Cat had gone. He met the purple eyes squarely.

"Where is she?" He asked it bluntly and was met with that same scowl. "Where?" He demanded in a tighter voice. There was blood dripping down onto his neck from his cheek. He could feel the wound clearly but was doing his best to ignore it for now. Far more important then a wound any competent healer could fix was the state of his charge. She was the one who needed some sort of assistance right now, although he hadn't stopped to wonder what kind that was.

"She ran away Numair." Alanna growled brutality emanating from her small form. She asked another question, but he was distracted and not listening.

She had run away, which meant she passed the camp and moved on. He went to move towards the forest on the other side and Alanna stepped in front of him, preventing his pursuit.

"Alanna." He warned and met those purple eyes again. If he lost the girl now he would never find her again and nothing in him was willing to lose her when he had only just realised what was really wrong with her.

"If she's gone, she's gone." Alanna warned tightly. "If she's coming back she needs to calm down first."

"Alanna-" He began, only to be cut of quickly by her sharp voice.

"No. She needs to calm down on her own." Alanna stated sternly. "You can't _force_ any creature to calm down if it's unwilling to."

"What if that's it Alanna?" He demanded angrily trying to look beyond her. "What if she's gone?"

"You can't make her stay." The woman told him soothingly. Agitated he ran a shaking hand through his hair, trying still to look beyond his friend and into the forest where the Cat had disappeared to.

"I scared her." He admitted, feeling like a fool for having being so thoughtless in his activities. He was sure there was some way he could have made that spell work, at least to not have freaked her out with his attempt to use it.

"And she'll realise that-" Alanna replied placidly.

"Or she wont." He snapped feeling aggravated. Oh he could have pushed past the woman with some effort, he could have made a very big production of getting passed her but in the end he was the more powerful mage and he would have won the little battle. But she was making sense, he just didn't want to accept it on some level.

"Once she calms down you can try and coax her back."

"And how will I do that when she's off somewhere in the middle of the forest!" He motioned dramatically, feeling stressed.

"We'll look for her tomorrow. At first light we'll all split up and see if she's anywhere in the vicinity." She was doing a good job of calming him down, he knew she was even though he felt anything but calm.

"And if she's gone?"

"You can't cage her. If she wants to be in the wild, then she will be. But remember Numair she's stuck with you so far. I don't think she's going to quit now, she just needs a break. Tomorrow-"

"We'll look for her. I heard you the first time." Numair interrupted a bitter tone in his voice, but he was feeling calmer. Alanna was right, if the Cat hadn't wanted to be with them she would have disappeared a long time ago. He had reached out to her every time so far, it was time to see if she would reach back.

"Good. Now you better sit down so I can take a look at your cheek. It looks painful." She motioned to a log by the fire, the one had had been at before and he moved there without protest, his eyes lingering only for a short while on the tree line. "Why don't you tell me what happened." She encouraged as she took the seat before him, turning her attention to his bleeding wound.

"I was trying a spell." He admitted, feeling once more like an idiot because it hadn't worked. It should have worked, well no, he knew why it hadn't worked, he wasn't that stupid, but for any other creature it would have worked.

"I guess it didn't work." She supplied in good humour and he gave a wry, fleeting smile in reply. Magic twisted into his wounds and he bit back the flinch that wanted to summon.

"Doesn't seem like it." He replied lightly.

"What kind of a spell was it? I've known you a while now and I've yet to see you get a spell wrong." She was teasing, trying to take more of the tension out of the situation.

"I was trying to put up a barrier of sorts, between her human self and her magical self."

"She's got magic? I didn't notice it-"

He shook his head quickly interrupting her. "No, no. Not the Gift. Wild Magic. And she's got more then I've ever seen before." He shook his head in awe, still flabbergasted by the sheer amount he had seen. Thoughtfully he continued. "She hasn't just 'got' it, she's smothered in it and I think it's stopping her form coming back to reality."

"Why didn't it work? This barrier thing?"

"My best guess, and it's a guess. Is that she's been in this state she's in for too long. To actually put a barrier up between her-" He shook his head again disregarding that explanation. "A year ago? I could have done it, with a lot of effort. If she was sitting in front of me willing to let me in and able to control her reactions I could have put that barrier in for her." He let out a sigh of annoyance, a dejected sound that echoed exactly where his thoughts lay. "But now? In these circumstances? I think it's too late, at least for anything so primitive. Her magic's had so long to wined it's way into her self that they've mixed and interwoven into a single thing. It would actually cause her physical pain to try, and I stress 'try' because there's no guarantee of it working, to separate them." He took a breath and threw his hands up. "And even if I did think I could do that right now? She would have to trust me completely, she would have to be in complete control of herself. To put it shortly she would have to be in a state of pure and absolute calm." He had realised just how un-calm his Cat was over the afternoon. Oh she was willing to relax in his company but the moment something had shifted, the moment she had been threatened or unsure and all her guards had sprung back into place. If she came back he prayed she would forgive him for the misunderstanding. He wanted to help, almost desperately and the thought of her mistrusting him now seemed to send daggers through him.

Alanna patted him on the shoulder and moved away. He realised as she did so that the healing was done and his cheek didn't even sting any more. Thankful for that blessing he focused on the failed experiment.

He felt tired and strained. He hadn't expected her to respond so instinctively to the first touch of his magic and didn't like how quickly she had responded. If he'd had a few seconds before she had freaked out he could have tried again, maybe worked her into accepting the feel of his magic but that instant reaction took away the option. A part of him wondered if it was just as well and the rest of him wondered why he was trying to figure it all out when he needed sleep and he wouldn't be able to think clearly without having gotten it.

He picked up a stick and poked at the fire, letting Alanna's soothing words run through him. In the morning if the Cat hadn't found her way back into their company they would look for her. But Alanna was right, if the Cat didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be.

Resolutely he decided to sleep, at least in the morning he could deal with the situation from a different perspective. Silently he stalked through the camp to the tent the soldiers had set up for him and disappeared through the curtain doors.

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	11. Eleven

**Chained**

Part Eleven

**by Kimra**

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The crickets where talking, high voices that reverberated through the air and stole away the silence. There where frogs as well, down by the river and they revelled in the humid air hidden amongst the thick fog.

She moved slowly, silently, like a hunter stalking it's prey although there was no prey here. She could smell the humans, familiar scents, one's she had lived with over the last few days, ones she had begun to appreciate. Her fingers where stinging, her head hurt worse and she knew she had been rash.

She took a silent breath and shifted her weight moving amongst the sleeping figures with a natural ease. This is why they weren't animals, she realised as she made her way deeper into the camp ground. An animal would be awake by now, an animal sentry would have smelt her presence long before she had gotten there. Oh she had come in from up wind and had kept to the slowly diminishing shadows but no animal would have gone so long without noticing her. Usually now the herd would break, start running and wouldn't stop until it was safe or one of them was dead and the hunter had been appeased.

One of the humans murmured something to the other one still awake and they feel back into their silence. The crickets never dimmed, the frogs never paused and still they knew where she was. She sneered at these humans, these humans so below her but strangely above as well.

She was fighting instincts here, she should have been gone, long gone. Looking for the pack, looking for her kindred who would always look after her. These 'human' creatures where too confusing, animals where much easier to understand. But she was here anyway, she was sneaking through their guard with ease and grace and she was looking for Him. His scent lingered in the air, moving with the shifts in the wind but she compensated for that. Of course he was in the middle of it all, in one of the white buildings she hadn't yet understood the purpose of. Of course he had made himself the hardest creature to approach when he was the only one she wanted to be near.

She pushed on though, curious, upset and terrified. She had struck him, she wasn't even aware of what she'd done until the need to breath had made her stop and then for one horrible moment she realised she had attacked. It sent shudders down her spine that she had done so automatically, without warning, but it also made her proud in a way. She was after all a hunter, she had the right to attack when threatened. That she couldn't think now, in what way he had threatened her meant nothing. She had felt threatened and that was what had been important.

A human asleep on the ground near her stirred, a sharp breath being drawn in and she froze only long enough to be sure she didn't have to run, to be sure he was still asleep. She pushed on a little faster, dropping some stealth for movement.

She would just see if he was okay, maybe see if he was angry. She wouldn't stay much longer then that, even though she wanted to. She was just making sure she hadn't damaged Him and he would be fine.

She slipped into his temporary domain silently, letting her eyes adjust to the filtered moon light that shifted through the room. It was a little darker in here then beyond the white cloth walls but she could still see. He was asleep, she could hear it in the way he was breathing, the soft motionless actions of his body. He was in a deep sleep, without dreams and was silent. She had noticed that though, he slept without dreams beyond a walled room and she wondered if he was on guard out here in the wild, keeping his demons at bay from prying eyes. She had seen them though, his demons, and that made her oddly proud.

She crept silently to the cot that was his bed. Her breathing slower, harder to hear even in her ears, though her heart beat seemed to thunder beyond control. She was careful when she raised herself to eye level with him, bitting into her lower lip as she searched his sleeping face in the dark.

She leaned over him, her right knee on the cot beside his chest as she looked down at his face. He was asleep, peaceful. His black hair loose behind his head, his dark eyes hidden beneath closed lash's. Gently, trying not to wake him or inform him of her presence she ran her finger along the cheek that should have been damaged. She had hurt enough people in her life to understand what marks where expected, but here, on him, there where none.

She released her breath slowly, looking down on him with a sense of relief. She hadn't hurt him, or he was better, it didn't matter which. And it was time to leave.

She made it to the door before she was interrupted by a deep male voice.

_Why are you leaving Kit? _

She turned to the voice slowly, not startled, but curious by the clarity of the words in her mind. A badger stood, not too far from her human watching her with intelligent eyes.

She bit into her upper lip with a little frown. She didn't belong, she knew that. She didn't deserve to belong with this man

_You should not leave, Kit. This IS where you belong. _ The badger's voice sounded, tints of pity and soothing calm caressing her mind.

She needed to go though. She wasn't one of them, she wasn't human like them.

_You are human. _ The badgers voice echoed still soothing, but would broke no argument.

Her breathing started to come out deeper and harsher. She wasn't talking, she knew that, she vaguely remembered talking, but he knew what she was thinking. She wanted to know what he was, what he was doing before her.

_I'm here to help you Kit. I would have come sooner but…_ She wasn't sure if he looked more embarrassed or annoyed. _Well let us just say you where not yourself and therefore I could not find you. _

Light started to slink into the tent and she knew dawn had come to the skies already. Rational told her to ignore the badger and leave but as her muscles tensed so too did it's.

_You can not leave. _ He ordered, the kind tone replaced with demand. _You need these people, almost as much as they need you. _

She refuted angrily, her mind flaring out at this creature that felt he could order her about. She did not need them, and most certainly they did not need her.

_You are wrong Kit. They can help you. _ There was a pause and then grudgingly the badger continued. _He can help you. _ The creatures large head swung in the direction of the slumbering human and unable to stop herself she turned her own head to look at her human. He was still asleep, untroubled by the exchange that was happening at his bed side, Badger and girl facing off.

She wanted to believe the badger too. Wanted to stay in the room, and stay with this man but she wasn't like them, she was too wild, too dangerous. She would hurt him, she knew it, just like she had hurt everyone else. And he would turn on her, just like they had all turned on her.

_There are no hunters here. _ The badger's voice interrupted her, grave honesty in his voice and she paused to stare at it. The thought of no hunters, the simple concept made her want to cry because the emotions it brought into her where overwhelming. She fought all that though, staring into this strange creatures eyes. _You must trust me Veraladaine, you will be safe here. _

She wanted to be as well. Every part of her wanted to belong here, with these people who had shown her such strange kindness. With this man who was her sanctuary. She wouldn't harm him again, she wouldn't let herself, but she knew what she was capable off, she could kill like any other hunter. But she wanted to stay so much she was shaking, trembling and before she had even made up her mind a flash of silver scorched her eyes and she was in the tent, alone with the human.

Tentatively she moved across the room to the human, letting hope fill her and letting a stranger's words keep her fixed. She had needed it all too much.

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Numair woke slowly, his mind protesting the hour although already people around the tent where moving, preparing for the day. He let out a noise of annoyance and noted that he should really stop travelling with Alanna. By himself he would cover the same distance, but at least he would get a little more sleep. As it was he didn't want the tent taken down around his ears again.

It was when he went to stretch his arms above his head that he became aware of a discrepancy in the situation, he could not move his arm… because someone was lying on it.

His thoughts jumped to the many times this had happened before. Living in the palace and being a wealthy attractive male had it's advantages after all and he had no problems with appreciating those advantages. Though his bedraggled mind was trying to overcome it's confusion. Usually when he was in the middle of an army camp in the middle of nowhere he didn't wake with a woman in his arms.

A second attempt to move his arm proved he wasn't imagining anything, and when his movement prompted movement on his companions part he was most certainly sure he wasn't delusional. Interestingly the woman, instead of waking, made herself more comfortable against him, but he was waking up so he didn't spend too long considering the interesting things he could do with the woman beside him, instead he wondered where the hell a woman had come from. Alanna, for all her interesting habits wasn't about to creep into his tent and take up residence in his arms, which he was thankful for, George would kill him, and it would be a shame to ruin a good friendship with something as meaningless as sex.

The more he woke, the more confused he became, but he was fighting that increasingly irresistible urge to shift himself so he could get a look at who ever it was. Really he didn't like waking up, and he didn't think anything was wrong with enjoying the company when it was so obviously there.

She shifted against him, slim fingers curling around his muscled abdomen and an amused smile came to his lips, he was certainly waking up now. The woman made a noise that seemed like a protest to waking, half animal in a way, but distinguishable as well.

Abruptly his mind woke up and he bolted upright in shocked realisation. He cursed sharply to himself, not aloud, scared he'd wake the still slumbering girl.

He was breathing hard, forcing any of the images that had been swirling in his subconscious out of his mind. His heart was pounding in his chest with an excited fear that made him hate himself. But desperately he was trying to regain control of his body. The Cat made a noise, another soft indistinguishable sound that took his mind to places he wished it wouldn't go.

Abruptly he stood, removing himself from her presence, scared of what he was doing, what he was thinking, and what he had been thinking. He grabbed his clothes from the floor, and changed as quickly as his shaking limbs would allow, his back to the girl in case she woke. Then as quickly as he could he left the tent, searching out any distraction that would present itself.

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She edged around people with wide arch's, keeping her attention on what they where doing with an alacrity that rivalled her normal state. She didn't trust them, not any of them, but she wanted to find Him, wanted to find where he had gone. She didn't want him to be angry, not with her, not when she had stayed just for him so she needed to find him.

She found him with the woman, the real one, not the broken one's who only smelt like fear when she was near them. This one with violet eyes and fire touched hair. He glanced at her on her approach and then his eyes jumped away fixing instead on the other woman.

A pang went though her gut, usually he would make eye contact, but he seemed to avoid it this time. She had hurt him and he was angry. She stopped her movement, reconsidering her return. She should never have tried to be part of this man's life, she was just deluding herself.

The woman jabbed Him with her elbow and he smiled lightly turning to face her, a guarded expression in his eyes. Not sure what to make of it Cat remained where she was.

"Come on Cat. We're moving out." He told her and she understood more from the hand motion then the words what he was saying. She came to his side with relief, glad she had not broken whatever existed between them. The woman made a noise, said something in a muffled voice before she made her way back into the slowly fading camp sight. He motioned her over to his horse, not the cart and she felt relief swamp her. It would be okay. He was okay. And that was all she cared about.

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Numair kept his hands and mind as distracted as he could throughout the days ride.

He refused to allow himself to think, refused to allow the thoughts that had intruded his half asleep mind from returning. He was disgusted with himself, hated himself for allowing it to enter his mind, and that it wouldn't leave, no matter what he did to try and get rid of it. That he could think anything like that about a girl who was by far younger then him was disturbing. That he would allow himself to think anything of the sort about a girl who had been through the kind of abuse she had been made him feel like he was betraying that damnable trust she seemed to have placed in him.

It didn't help, of course, that the women rescued from the brothel had been too exhausted from the previous day to travel in any way but as passengers in the cart which left Cat in his care again. It wouldn't have been a problem, he knew, if she hadn't snuck into his bed the night before, but now his mind was aware of the idea it simply refused to fade and he could barely ignore that his day was being spent sitting in the saddle behind her.

Of course in her innocent belief in him she showed none of the physical timidity that most females would in such a circumstance and instead of being weary she had curled herself against his body falling almost immediately into a silent sleep. And all combined left him with little choice but to take the berating his conscience was giving him and try his best to ignore exactly what his body and mind where trying to betray to him.

So he tried for distraction. He tried to consider the benefit's of her return. Most obviously he didn't have to go looking for her, followed very closely by the knowledge that she wanted to be there, she was trying to reach beyond herself to them. He considered it a sign that she was still reachable but he refused to use magic again. After that first attempt he would have to be a fool to try such a thing again.

But he wanted her to be used to his magic, maybe ween her into the feel of magic near her. It was possible with a little coaxing he could try again and maybe even succeed. That idea still sat with trepidation in his mind, but it had to be attempted, she deserved the right to chose and she simply couldn't do it in her current state so if he freed her and she was broken, maybe he would just let her go again.

He shook his head, not quite sure what he was thinking and noticed the party coming to a halt a little down the track. As if responding the girl in his arm's moved and automatically he whispered something soothing to her then bit his tongue wishing it hadn't been so automatic.

He shifted his horse past the soldiers waiting for their next commands coming up besides Alanna.

"Hmm?" He enquired rather absently, his eyes searching for the reason for the halt as much as his ear's waiting for the explanation. The Cat moved again, a soft ignorable sound escaping her lips.

Alanna let out a rough sigh.

"We can ride on in-" she motioned her head to the thicket before them "-and keep riding in the dark, or we can take it tomorrow in the light."

"Personally I'd rather we go now." Numair told her and he saw a few heads agree with him and a few faces show completely horrified shock. He wondered if Alanna was there why it wasn't the pride of the King's army since surely they would show a little more common sense.

"Once it's dark who knows what's going to be in there." She replied. It wasn't the first time this kind of discussion had come up between them and the result, he knew, would once more land on their gut feelings. There was no real way to judge the situation after all, the thicker parts of the forest's on this side of Tortall often held no places safe to stop while travelling through them, because often there was no way to make anything safe within them. Especially recently.

"If we camp we alert anyone or thing in there of our presence and then it wont matter if it's day or night, they'll attack anyway."

She nodded a little thoughtful still, a look of concern on her features though he could only read it because he knew her so well.

"But it's your post, it's your call." He reminded her, and he would stand by it, he would follow her decision in this circumstance.

"No." She shook her head a smile on her lips. "Your right." She nodded as if forcing the decision in. "Okay everybody!" She called her voice carrying with ease to all the soldiers behind her. "We're going to go quick and quiet, and we wont be stopping until we're through. Take a short break now, rest your mounts and do whatever needs doing. I don't want any delays."

And that was all she needed to say as the entire group began to move, dividing across the small clearing and taking a chance to prepare themselves for what they had all done a hundred times before.

Numair went to dismount when he realised he was being clung to. Surprised he looked at the girl in his arms and saw her fists had taken a hold on his white shirt. He frowned at that fighting the smile that wanted to take control. He had thought she was awake, but quite obviously she wasn't.

She made another noise as he carefully pried her fingers from his shirt and abruptly she woke.

Her eyes where alert, blue-grey shifting about them as if ready for an attack, but there was something off about them non-the-less. He couldn't place it and was far too distracted by the fact that he could now dismount and put some distance between them to pay much attention to it.

She followed him off the horse, her hand sliding a caress down the animals neck before she parted ways with it completely.

"Alanna." He called softly, just like the rest of them, keeping his noise down. She looked up from her resting place on the ground. "Look after the Cat for a few minutes." He asked politely and motioned his head to the girl following him.

Alanna looked to the girl with a raised brow. "You know…" She began thoughtful "…she probably has a name."

He gave a laugh. "You find it out and I'll start calling her by it." He admittedly was feeling a little bitter at the moment and it didn't help when he heard Alanna make a call to the girl who was obviously still following him. He assumed after a moment that Alanna had managed to get her to stay and he continued into the tree's until the camp was out of sight but still within hearing, then sat down to let himself relax for the first time that day. After all it wasn't anyone's fault but his own and it wasn't right for him to take it out on anyone else.

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	12. Twelve

**Chained**

Part Twelve

**by Kimra**

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Daine sat back on her hindquarters watching the camp with an alert and weary attention. Something was wrong, she couldn't place it, had no idea even where to begin but something was most certainly wrong. The men where quiet, the women silent and a blanketing sense of foreboding smothered the atmosphere. She rocked a little on the balls of her heels, her teeth toying with her low lip in distracted thought.

The woman warrior was laying in the grass only a short distance away, but her casual relaxed pose was offset by the strong fingers curled around a jewelled sword hilt.

A glance about the gathered people and she worried her lip a little more. Her head hurt, it was stinging. But more importantly the man had left and she couldn't see him.

She was worried about him, there where no lies about it and no doubts either. Separation from his presence was effecting her far more then it had the last time. She didn't know why but it was the case and she would accept it. She wasn't the sort, after all, to argue with herself when it came down to the point.

She smelt the air, taking in deep breaths and syphoning through the scents it brought to her. There was leather and metal, and other human things she now recognised as a part of this group. There was the smell of the horses that travelled with the human's, hay and blood and sweet from hard work mingled with that unique scent of the animal that she knew without question.

She scented past the clutter of human presence that smothered the clearing like a dense fog. She could smell the dampness that belonged to the thicket of tree's that rested before them; she could smell the tree's themselves interesting and unique scent's she knew even if she was unsure why she knew them.

She tried to breath deeper, needing to find what else lay beyond her sight and found nothing. Only the lingering concern at the back of her mind told her to keep alert.

She moved then, cautiously, sniffing the air as she went, following the path He had travelled just a few minutes before. She needed to follow him, keep him in her sights until she understood what lay about them like a storm ready to unleash itself upon them all. The woman warrior didn't move, at least not to stop her. The red head merely lifted from it's resting place and amethyst eyes carefully followed her movement but nothing else was done. Emboldened by this Daine pushed on through the temporary camp, ignoring the men she passed, keeping her attention focused instead on that one perfect mix of scent's she knew now belonged to Him.

She entered the forest without hesitation, glad to leave the human's behind her for a few minutes. Their intense silence, she realised once she was free of it, had been bearing down on her like a strange attack she couldn't explain. But more importantly she was getting closer to him. Already his scent was dramatically stronger then it had been and she was feeling the relief begin to take hold of her. She didn't let it overtake however until he was in her sight, his frame a shadow amongst the tree's but it was a shadow she knew and recognised on instinct.

He turned to face her as she approached and she saw the frown burrow itself onto his brow at her appearance. Unapologetic she moved closer to him, checking him over in a protective gesture, making sure she was not incorrect in her assessment of his safety. But here, in the middle of the tree's with barely the sound of the human camp reaching them she was overcome by a sense of security depite the headache that lingered. It was a sense that without him she had been unable to find.

A beautific smile came to her lips, one that defied his frown and in a few short seconds made it vanish. He shook his head at her lightly and made a motion for them both to return to the camp.

She couldn't stop the grin that came to her then, from the acceptance she saw in his movements, the light look in his eyes that overpowered the darkness that had been sitting there since her scare the day before. She had worried that she had done something wrong, that she had set him against her but in that moment of silent communication she knew he held nothing against her and everything would be okay.

Words bubbled in her throat, she wanted to express herself. In the recess of her mind she remembered times when words had not been so foreign to her, when they had flowed from her with the same ease these humans spoke, but it was a long time ago and what words she wanted to say she didn't know. So instead she kept her grin, undisturbed by the fleetingly human thought and reached for his hand willing to compromise with herself.

He allowed himself to be controlled by her, as she shakily drew herself up to her hind legs tucking his hands in close to her body so he would not escape. She needed somehow to express her gratitude, though she wasn't sure how. For some reason though, standing like him, looking into his dark eyes with a smile she couldn't and wouldn't push away made sense to her and filled her with a fluttering of job. She watched as more lines of tension eased from his face, a surrender of the worry that had been holding him since only that morning. Her smile lightened in response, no longer a grin but something to express softer pleasure.

And all at once his expression stilled, thoughtful and dark but she was not afraid, he would never hurt her. Gently he withdrew one hand from her hold and reached for her face, brushing hair back from her face with gentle fingers. An instinct told her to lean into the hand but she held that back as he withdrew his touch. She may not understand perfectly, but at that moment nearly eye level with this man who was beyond anything she had ever encountered she knew without a doubt that he was teetering on the edge and any push from her could send him away, away from her.

He gave her a sad smile. "Let's go back to the camp." He recommended and she grinned, not just because he was talking to her, not just because he hadn't been pushed too far, but because for one more moment she knew what he was saying, knew what he meant and understood the tone he had said it in. He wanted the moment to end, and for now she was willing to accept that because his hand was still in hers.

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Numair wanted to hate himself, he really did, but something was preventing the emotion from emerging. Perhaps because he had overcome the fear that had crept into him and made him feel unworthy of her trust. Or perhaps it was the knowledge that she would never know what he had been thinking as they stood their in the trees. And, more importantly, she would never understand in that safely animalistic mind of hers, because all her innocent actions proved to him that she had no idea, and he would keep it that way.

Why his thoughts had turned on her like they had he could only guess, but something he knew with a certainty was that he couldn't take it out on her, she simply had no idea and it was anything but her fault.

Resigned he let out a sigh and involentarily his eyes came to rest on her still figure again. She was crouched not far from him, eyes on the trees in an intense attention he marveled at. Her body seemed tense, one of her hands resting against her forehead and rubbing it slightly. He frowned tilting his head to figure out what was bothering her.

"Numair." Alanna's voice snapped his attention away and he was looking at the violet eyes warrior. "We're nearly ready." She herself was already astride her horse fighting gear on as she monitored the soldiers silently finishing their preparations.

He gave her a nod and turned back to the girl ready to retrieve her only to find she had already come to his side as if knowing what was happening. He gave a bit of a smile and lifted himself into the saddle, bringing her up in front of him as she had been earlier. Being as receptive as she was to him the process had very quickly become very easy.

They didn't wait long like that as the rest of the men mounted up and the women took their place in the cart but Numair noticed through that time, his arms pressed against the sides of the Cat's chest that she was breathing wrong. Sharp small breaths, and alert tension throughout her body. He could feel the definite difference from the earlier ride.

"Are you okay?" He asked more out of habit from talking to people who responded then anything else.

She didn't answer, but her fingers found his arm and curled in, for reassurance or something else he wasn't sure but her body did not slacken.

"Move out." Alanna commanded softly and the men echoed with the same volume in case anyone had missed it. Then they where moving.

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Things started to go wrong an hour or so later, in the thicket of the forest the Cat suddenly lost the control she had been holding onto and he realised immediately why that was.

The horses broke first, some rearing, some pulling free entirely. Cat was right there with them, trying to break free of the arm's about her as if he was keeping her there against her will.

He was too surprised by the simultaneous events to even think to release her and instead tightened his grip as the Immortals made themselves known.

Alanna was barking orders at the men and the battle was met with a well trained and oiled fighting unit.

Cat continued to fight, nails digging into his arm with vicious intensity. He fought back the pain with as much determination as he tried to think of what to do. And the next moment he had an idea and had uttered a spell.

A shield surrounded them, not the soldiers fighting, not Alanna giving orders, not even the hysterical women on the cart, just the two of them, three if you counted the horse.

"Calm!" He ordered her his mouth by her ear and she jerked from the noise her eyes jumping to him in shock. With the shock recognition set in and suddenly she wasn't what she was before, she was only confused. He put more power into the shield, and the world around them began to disappear behind a curved wall of black and white lights.

"Cat." He loosened his hold testing and cringed at the wounds she had inflicted. His arm was bleeding, he could feel the blood seeping out but tried not to pay too much attention to it, he had to deal with the biggest problem. Somewhere in his studies of Wild Magic he was sure he had passed something vaguely like this, though he had never heard of such a reaction. Gifted with the magic of animals it was only a logical step to assume that an animal of brutality, a monstrosity of an animal would disrupt the senses.

Still cautious he poured more magic in the barrier, no longer even aware of what was happening belong.

"Calm." He soothed and released her. She was off the horse in a second but not in fear, instead she was approaching the wall of magical fire. She touched it curiously and hissed at it in reflex, but she didn't take her hand away and he was transfixed as she explored the sensation of magic. It had been years since he'd seen the kind of awe she was displaying.

"Cat." He interrupted and she turned to look at him her eyes wide and still confused. He didn't need to ask if she was calm now because he could see it clearly in her eyes.

Slowly, cautiously he began to release the power of the shield, letting the world and it's noise come back to her. He was watching her breathing, testing the limits but he needed to see what was beyond, if he could he needed to help.

What he didn't expect was for her to pause and tilt her head like a bird listening. He stopped to let her adjust, watching the expression of deep thought on her calm face, and what was calm suddenly gave over to fear.

He went to throw the shield back up, ready to stop whatever it was but she defied his best intentions and her small body suddenly hurled itself at his shield.

Not thinking he dropped it before she connected to prevent the damage it would cause. To touch it was harmless, to attack was suicide. Then she threw in another curve, and instead of running like he guessed she would she ran towards the creatures.

Her hand was on her head, clinging but she stumbled onwards. Nobody seemed to notice her, they where fighting their battle, trying to stay alive. He tried to dismount and the slow process cost too much time because in the next second she was passed their ranks and in the midst of the Immortals.

"Stop!" He shouted in horror as weapons continued to fly, the Immortals still taking damage and all the while Cat in the middle of them her arms around one and tears thick on her face.

He watched the magic in her, watching it tugging and ripping at her as it threw itself from her body to the others. There was no control, no skill just sheer determination, sheer power.

"Alanna!" He shouted but he didn't care. She was his charge, it was his duty to protect her so he followed, straight through the Immortal ranks to the side of the wild child and the fallen Unicorn. "Cat!" He tried to pull her from the animal, watching the treads of magic coming from her. He felt something behind him and threw a shield up there but didn't turn from her.

She swung at him ready to scratch as she had in the clearing that night but recognition came this time and instead she began pleading with him blue-grey eyes trying to communicate what she never could in words.

He understood it though, vague as it may have been he could read empathy and pain like any other human who cared. "We're under attack!" He tried to explain not knowing how to help. Certainly Unicorns where not known to be violent, especially not the winged kind, but that did stop the occasions when they where, when something had thrown them down a different path.

Her tears where thick, she was looking about, franticly looking for an answer, her magic still being pulled out of her. He needed to get her away from that creature before too much magic left, he didn't know how much she could handle loosing.

"Alanna stop!" He shouted out but there was no stopping a battle that had already begun. "I can't stop it!" He told her. "Let go!" He tried to pull her free and she looked at him stricken and he felt his heart breaking for the expression. "If they would stop, if they could stop, we would too." It was a promise he had no right to make but he made it anyway. If the attack stopped he would let them go, and he could restrain even Alanna for long enough to let that happen.

Then suddenly, as if nothing had happened the Unicorns still standing banked breaking from their attack and landed neatly away from the battle, putting the Cat and he between them and the enemy.

Hopeful eyes turned to him and he nodded.

"Alanna!" He called and this time she was paying attention.

"What?" She asked her voice dark with battle ready attention.

"Put away your weapons." He could look from those hopeful eyes and he was putting so much faith in them, but he couldn't help it, he could see her in all her glory, magic around and beyond her, the animals, even these Immortals where responding to her.

"Not on your life Numair." Alanna retorted, vicious determination in her voice.

"Put them away Alanna or it'll be your life we're gambling." He turned then to face down the purple eyed warrior. He had never threatened her and he saw the surprise, concealed as it was, then the anger take hold again. Her temper always had it's place.

"And what? They'll just let us walk passed?" She demanded and the next moment the creatures where moving, stepping from the path to it's edges as if knowing what she said.

Numair frowned and looked back to the Cat only to find her smiling at him like a child who had won a race.

"Yeah." He breathed. "Just like that." He added and pulled the girl to her feet and away from the fallen Unicorn. He glanced at it, noted that it wasn't as fallen as it had been and felt ill at the amount of magic that he knew the Cat had just given over.

He motioned her to wait and fetched his horse, then with her stumbling to walk at his side they passed the Unicorns and eventually so did everyone else.

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	13. Thirteen

**Chained**

Part Thirteen

**by Kimra**

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They where afraid of her. She could smell it on them, fear like an animal being hunted. She no longer had to avoid them because they all kept their distances from her. The girls where terrified of her, the men tried to hide it better but it was all too obvious to her.

It irked her, made her feel alien and inside she could feel the pounding of the forest's calling her. But she stayed, as she had before because He was still there, still talking to her, still treating her with that humanity she so longed to hold again. Somewhere she remembered a woman from her past, maybe her mother, maybe someone else, but they had loved her treated her like these humans and she knew, without a doubt, that she had been happy like that.

The warrior woman walked across the camp to them, the first human to approach them since the incident with the horned horses and Daine shifted slightly alerting Him of the newcomer. He barely glanced at the woman, his attention seemingly fixed on the book before his nose.

The woman squatted down by him, her eyes fixed, determined. "What happened last night, Numair?" The woman demanded of Him, her eyes violet and burning with a rage that was almost palpable. Daine flexed her muscles testing, ready.

"She has an affinity to them Alanna. It was hurting her." He didn't look away from the book, but Daine could see his attention was fixed on this woman.

"I don't give a damn Numair!" The woman snapped her fist clenching at her side.

Daine felt the danger in the woman's anger and responded a growl sharp in her throat her body shifting, ready for attack and defence whichever was required. It wasn't meant to happen, she should have controlled it but an attack seemed eminent and all she knew was this woman was going to harm her guardian. Both sets of eyes turned to her. His dark ones curious with a tinge of sadness she couldn't explain in them and hers violet, angry, and in a strange near indecipherable way scared.

At the contact of their eyes Daine allowed another growl out, she would not back down despite that very human feeling of humiliation settling into her belly. Something told her she was over reacting but she couldn't turn it off, she needed to protect Him.

"Sit down Alanna." He gestured to the seat beside him and the warrior took it, his body now between them. Daine went to shift her position to see the woman better when his hand stopped her, a stern look in his eyes that she obeyed despite the warnings in her body. Settling herself into the same seat as before she titled her head to watch the woman as subtly as possible.

The purpled eyed woman had been watching and her eyes where suddenly unsettled and resigned. "This is dangerous Numair. I can't afford to have her disrupting another battle if the Immortals attack." The woman sounded resigned as she said the words and her slumped shoulders said more then the words ever could. Daine felt the attack disappear and relaxed.

It was in that strange moment of calm she experienced a moment off clarity. The words where coming together in her head, more and more where making sense every day, but just now, just then a word the woman kept repeating, one that Daine didn't know made sense. It was His name, Numair. Pride swamped through her and no one noticed except an owl in the near by try who only made a noise out of curiosity. Daine didn't explain to it, there was no way to explain such a human accomplishment to an animal who cared nothing for humans.

The conversation continued above her and Daine paid attention once more to this woman, and Numair. "Alanna, Unicorns are by nature passive creatures-" He tried in a calm voice folding the book he had been focused on and setting it aside.

"They where attacking!" The woman, maybe Alanna, interrupted and without thought another growl came out from Daine's throat. Only a pair sharp purple eyes responded and their look was cutting.

"Alanna listen to me." He demanded and the woman subdued. "This girl-" he motioned to her vaguely "she's got magic the likes of which I've never seen. I've read about it, certainly, but I have never laid eyes on the kind of power she has. The unicorns where not a threat, for whatever reason they where attacking it was more then likely in self defence. She could feel it, sense it, something, and she responded to it! If it had been you I would have done the same thing and you would have thanked me for it. Just because she can not speak does not mean she shouldn't be given the same consideration as every other person in this troop."

"I know that Numair. But she's dangerous, even you should be able to see it."

"How is she dangerous?"

"Magic the likes of which you've never seen? And she can't understand a word we're saying? How do you know that was a peaceful herd of Unicorns? Because she said so? She couldn't even communicate that to us Numair!"

"She's trying." He battled, sounding nearly resigned but very protective.

"She's an animal," Alanna snapped then added rather daringly "and your too attached."

"Don't call her that, and it's my business, not yours."

"No Numair!" She hissed, and Daine didn't care anymore, she went to jump except suddenly a male hand was holding her still, He was holding her still. She froze at the contact, tried to figure it out and battle the animal instincts that said to strike him for interrupting her attack. "It's my business, you don't get paid to flounce about picking up strays just because they tickle your fancy!"

She was slowly settling under her grip, firm as it was on her left arm, keeping her in place. Not even a growl came from her throat as she waited, watched for whatever was happening to come to an end.

"I'm not exactly in this for the money Alanna." He drawled his eyes glinting with black fire.

"No your in it because no other country in their right mind would let you in. Ozorne would be more then happy to get his hands on you and a lot of countries would be more then happy to use you as a bargaining chip. Johnathan was the only noble willing to take you in."

"How's your husband Alanna? How longs it been since you got to go home?" Numair snapped back vindictively his own emotions raw. He didn't want to have this argument but if she was going to push him he was going to push back.

She seemed to have the same idea. "Longer then it's been since you last got to visit your floozies. What's she Numair? A new addition to your harem?"

Silence settled over the three, Daine only aware enough to know that He had just become angry and that there was a lock of regret in the fiery woman's eyes.

"Even for you, Alanna, that's out of line." He whispered steady control in his voice and the woman seemed to hesitate.

Daine watched carefully as Alanna clenched her fist then shook and clenched it again. "I'm sorry." Was finally whispered by the angry woman, and despite the anger in her tone her expression showed proper contrition. "But this is dangerous, and you have to see that."

"I do." He replied his voice resigned, and the hand he had held her with disappeared but all the anger was gone and Daine would not attack now. "But I have to help her because I don't think anyone else can."

"Promise me something Numair." Alanna pleaded, her amethyst eyes soft as they met his face. "Promise me she wont get in the way of it all."

"Alanna-" Numair began confusion in his voice.

"I need to go home one day Numair. This war has to end." For one moment the warrior woman became a softer thing, a scared thing, and a broken exhausted thing. Daine felt empathy swallow her as she looked at this woman and she let resentment go in the face of the woman's real self.

"It will, and soon. We won't let it go on forever. But maybe you should ask Johnathan for a break, it's straining us both."

"Ask him?" The woman released a bitter laugh then asked as if testing him. "Could you?"

"Why do you think I'm here?" Numair replied and that seemed to be the end because the woman smiled bitterly then left them alone.

Daine watched it all, waited, and felt her body relax. There was something, something important he wanted, no needed to do, and she was in his way. It hurt Daine to know she was in his way, but she couldn't ignore it, she was too smart to allow herself to. But for now, now she knew it was okay, later she would worry about it, later she would fix it for him.

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Numair cursed as he looked about the camp. It had gotten larger over the last few days, meeting up with different segments of the kings army that was out in the country. With only a days ride to the castle it wasn't surprising there where so many soldiers about but for his current task it was an annoyance.

"Cat?" He tried to call over the noise, his attention shifting in case she gave a sound of reply. She was getting better at making herself known to him on the rare occasions when she left his side and he went looking for her. It wasn't surprising she responded to him though, with no other person willing to go near her and Alanna treating her as she always had, with a cautious indifference.

He wished today though he had paid more attention to the Cat girl because while he had been talking to some of the magic users in the soldiers ranks she had disappeared. He had thought she was behind him, but her silent movements had taken her away without anyone noticing.

A curse left his lips, another not far behind it as he tried to find her small form in the midst of the dirt ridden camp. He just hoped, above all else that whatever had caught her attention today, that it was clean.

"Of all the days-" He muttered to himself then came to an abrupt halt, his eyes catching her form. She was crouched against the ground, hands pressed against hard dirt and head titled to the sky. Her eyes where closed her hair falling behind her in a cascade of brown curls.

He blinked away the image, tried to distract him self from the strange sort of perfection she appeared to have. But dressed as she was he found it much harder then usual. The day before she had been wearing the same clothes the whore house had provided, but with a days ride to the castle and knowing that she would be staying by his side and most likely meeting everyone he met the vainer part of his personality had taken hold. He had purchased her a dress, something she could face the nobles wearing, something that looked beautiful on her. He had even gotten her to wear it so she would be used to it, and her co-ordination and understanding had improved so much she had been able to dress on her own. Then he had lost track of her.

Numair forced back a groan. He should have specified, even if she didn't understand, he should have told her to keep the dress clean. But he hadn't and she would never understand without him telling her, even if then she wouldn't understand either.

A bird swooped down upon her and she rolled out of it's path, a laugh in her throat, a smile on her lips. It banked, tried again and she avoided it once more. Seeing her like that, seeing her happy for such a simple thing he lost his anger and resigned himself to forgiving her anything.

"Cat," he called "the dress was to be worn, not destroyed."

She stopped her actions at his voice, he saw the stilling of her body as he spoke then her eyes turned to him. She rose from the ground slowly, uncertainty still in all her actions as the bird landed on her shoulder.

Perfect clarity was in her eyes, the only sign that maybe she wasn't as lost as he kept thinking she was. Her back straightened, her shoulders back, the dress about her dripping mud but the air of her as she stood to her height and met his eyes made that almost invisible. There was too much power and strength in her for anything as simple as dirt to distract you.

Absently her hand raised up, brushing a large clump of dirt of her sleave, keeping his eyes locked with her own. He knew she understood, but wondered still how much. Her fidgety hand brushed at the skirt flecks of dirt sprinkling of the blue silk folds. Her other hand fiddled with the collar by the dipping chest line. But her attention was still on him, not on her own movements.

"We'll have to get you another one." He wondered if it was possible to explain to her that the dress she was wearing was worth more then some men would have paid for a night of her company. It wasn't a good analogy but he knew how expensive she had been.

She wet her lips her hands stilling and the concentration in her eyes began to burn into him. She squeaked a noise, light soft, it was a foreign sound for her and the frown on her brow that looked very much human accented the alien moment.

"I-" It sounded real, like speech.

His breath held as her frown increased. If she spoke words he would never be able to give up on her. He would know she could be brought back from where ever they had driven her, even without magic. And he wanted that, to give her a chance that had been denied her. It didn't matter what Alanna said if she did this.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was whisper soft, the words perfect, controlled. The concentration in her expression so intent he wondered if the world existed around her as she spoke. But there was something so powerful and strong in her voice, even in a whisper, that for just a brief moment he forgot about the past and saw her as maybe she once was. Entirely human, a little fragile, but so strong nothing could ever really break her.

Then it shattered as someone from the camp made a noise of surprise. She was on the floor again, forgetting about dress's and apologies as the growl rose from her throat. He wondered if 'Cat' was the right name for her because sometimes she seemed more ferocious then the name implied. More like a wolf.

"Did she just talk?" One of the men demanded shock in his voice and Numair suppressed the need to hit him. She'd been on the brink and one noise had sent her back to where he didn't want her. But the moment was lost, her words drowned out by curious murmurs and a low growl. Numair ignored the men and decided the dress was already ruined so there was no point trying to save it. He began to walk away and he felt her scurry to follow, the growl falling away and the men as usual stepping aside to give her the distance she violently demanded.

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	14. Fourteen

**Chained**

Part Fourteen

**by Kimra**

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Sleep was hard to find that night and Daine was searching hard. She'd heard them say it, 'one more night on the road' and she wondered why that was flying through her head on repeat, as if it changed anything. But these humans, she wasn't so sure of them. She didn't understand them enough to know exactly what they meant. A part of her though, was concerned and scared of the prospect they had voiced, scared of what would happen.

So sleep was hard to find, and she was spending her time curled below a blanket with unblinking eyes fixed on the tent wall. The air was cold, the animal's alert and awake and she wanted to be with them. Loyalty kept her still though.

Her eyes jumped to his prone figure, asleep on his makeshift bed. She wondered if he was warmer then the cold air, but kept that thought tucked away. Right now she was too alert to really consider sleep, she was just trying, loyally, to find the sleep she was supposed to have. She'd watched these humans long enough, they had times when it was expected, times when you simply had to follow the routine, and they slept when the moon was high and the sky dark.

That wouldn't bother her so much, she had had no problems before this night. But the idea, the concept of leaving the road was niggling on her thoughts as disturbing. If she could grasp it, grasp the reason she knew things would start to make more sense and she could find her sleep. For now she had to stare and wait, wait for the human part of her to come to the fore, to explain it to her.

A presence interrupted her thoughts, one she knew and recognised and was sitting up to greet in a heart beat. The cool eyes of the Badger met her own, an expression of concern in his features, one she could only read with difficulty.

A little part of her wanted to voice a greeting, to say something, but the words where lost and all she could do was watch the large animal as it made it's way across the room to her.

Claws dug into her folded knees lifting it's broad head up to face her and she was overwhelmed by the reek of the animal. No worse then any other scavenger, but not pleasant all the same.

_Your doing well Kit. _ The Badgers voice intoned in her head, soft and nice and comforting despite it's rough edges. She smiled at that, overwhelming pleasure suffusing through her and without permission she buried her fingers into his fur in a sign of appreciation. He made a rumble, just soft, and she knew he wasn't angry, not with her. _Tomorrow your human will ask you to do something. _

Her eyes jumped to her human, asleep still, oblivious to the conversation happening at his bedside. She knew, as always, that she would do anything he asked of her.

_No, Kit._ The Badger refuted her thoughts, drawing her attention to him sharply. She knew he had heard her thoughts, and wondered why she couldn't do as He told her. _I know it's hard but you must do as I say. You can not do what they ask, what he may ask of you. You must stay with him. Do you understand? _ The broad head thrust up against her own, sharp teeth touching harmlessly against her ear and she felt the urgency of his message as much as heard the words.

She felt herself nodding before realising she would agree. There was something too familiar and kind about this Badger, like a friend she had never met, or a guard she had never taken notice of. Logic threatened to overweigh her agreement. She had only met this animal once before, and although he had offered her good advise then there was no telling what his intent was.

Logic was ignored as she nodded with more certainly. He pulled back from her, stepped down from her knee and watched her nodding head with a look of relief.

_Good Kit, I'll be watching you, making sure your safe, but I can't do much. Now I have a gift for you, it will make it easier for me to check up on you. _ Silver light flared before the Badger, a small globe of brilliance that lasted only a second before it was gone and in it's place sat an equally silver claw. She squinted at it from her place and knew at once it was that of a Badgers.

Worried she looked to the Badger before her, noticing for the first time his own silver claws, but also noticing that they where all in place.

_Yes it is one of mine. _ He grumbled a little at that and she frowned, wondering how he could have all his claws if he had just put one before her. _Do not worry on it Kit, but keep it close and keep it safe, and remember what I have told you. _

And as if he hadn't even been there he vanished in a flash of magic that left spots in her vision. She blinked them back, tried to fight them away and when they where gone all that lay before he was a tent and a silver Badgers claw.

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She hadn't spoken another word. Numair had paid close attention but it wasn't necessary because she hadn't left his side since those two words had escaped her the day before. She was more jittery around the other humans and more comfortable around him now as well.

He hated it despite how much he felt secure in her reliance. Certainly he knew she could survive on her own. He wasn't fool to doubt it, but she wouldn't survive the same way. Around him, he was seeing her slowly take on the characteristics of a human, strange though it was he could see it quite clearly.

He had brought her new clothes and she hadn't made a mark on them, he had half expected her to treat them as she had the others, but she was careful and he found himself feeling pleased by the care she took.

Something else was off about her, though, but he couldn't place it. She had clearly taken care of the dress, she had even, he was glad to note, been able to change from her bed clothes to it with ease. Alanna had started to tire of the task, but it seemed it was no longer necessary. But something was off. They had spent one more night at the camp sight before moving out and now the Cat was acting odd.

He thought it was her movement's at first, jittery in the saddle before him, just a little more fidgety then usual. Then her finger's, because they curled and held longer against his arm when he was helping her mount or dismount. But sitting behind her, watching the back of her neck he found himself staring at a leather tie he hadn't seen there before. Subtle and easy to miss and strangely he suspected this makeshift piece of jewellery to be a part of her changed demeanour.

It wasn't until the group divided that her posture started to change. The main group of military and soldiers turning to the castle to report in. But Alanna and a few of her men where leading the ladies off to the temple of the Goddess, the only place they would get the treatment they needed. Numair kept with the group, habit and loyalty more the controlling factor on his choices then any concern for the well being of these stranger women.

Alanna was forced to enter the grounds for assistance, the men waiting beyond the guarded gates, watching and being watched with caution.

The Cat's fingers started to tighten when Alanna re-emerged with a Priestess a step behind her. Numair knew by the priestess' robes she was the head of this temple, but could see nothing about her that would disturb the Cat before him.

"You okay?" He murmured absently, one of his hands threatening to comfort but her grip refused to allow him movement and he didn't think it would have been wise anyway.

A little growl was building in her throat, one only he could hear, her eyes following with alert fixation both the Priestess and Alanna as they approached the women who had travelled this far with them.

Numair turned his attention to them as well, trying to discern his Cat's anxiety. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him, and he thought perhaps the Cat didn't want anyone approaching the women whom they had travelled with. That was logical enough, she wasn't to know that the Temple of the Goddess would protect them better then anyone else ever could.

He went to explain, not sure how useful it would be when he felt his skin below her nails breaking. He made a noise of shock, eyes jumping from his arms where her grip tightened with white knuckles to the face of a girl who wasn't even paying attention to him.

"Cat!" He snapped. He didn't want to upset her, but he didn't want those nails going in any further then they already where. He remembered last time she'd caused him damage with those nails of hers and reminded himself to have them cut the second it was plausible.

As distracted as he was trying to get her attention he didn't notice the women approaching them. The polite greeting of the head Priestess was ignored, but Alanna's sharp: "Numair." Caught his attention in an instant.

"I'm sorry-" He grit out as politely as he could, trying to twist his arms out of the Cat's grip. "I'm having troubles here." He went to turn his attention back to freeing his arms when once more the Priestess spoke, this time he heard her.

"This girl was with the others?" It was polite and curious, but an edge made Numair turn his full attention to the moment. He watched Alanna nod her head, and noticed that his friend would not meet his eye.

"She's very unstable." Alanna murmured.

"So they all would be. We have dealt with this sort of thing through history, do not worry, we will look after her well." The Priestess reached out, soft gentle hands moving towards a growling Cat and those horrendous nails dug in sharper, her body coiling back into his in a sharp desperate attempt to recoil from the offer of kindness.

A frown came to the priestess just as Numair rationalised what had been bothering the Cat all day. The more pieces she heard and understood around her, the more dangerous it would be. Until she could understand it all there would be numerous misunderstandings and this was an example of one of them.

He shook his head and smiled despite the blood dripping down his white sleeves. "You misunderstand-" he was trying to be polite so he flicked only a quick glare at Alanna who would still not meet his eyes "-this one's not going into the temple."

His words set off a spike of movement, barely visible, but people like him, who had spent so long in battles knew how to see those things. The guards of the Temple of the Goddess where prepared. They would fight to protect the little Cat if they thought it best.

The Priestess did not show any sign of anger of distress, only offered a caring smile that he knew was real. "I'm sure you mean well, but you must understand, we must act in the best interests of the child." She reached again, as if that was it and Cat made a move, one hand releasing his arm to swing at the priestess with those dangerous nails.

A gasp, weapons raising and the Priestess who had stepped away from the attack motioned the guards of her Temple into order.

"She doesn't want to go." He ground out, he wouldn't have let her go anyway, but her clear resistance was enough ground to stand on for now.

"The child is traumatised, it's clear to anyone. She needs to be looked after by people who can sympathise with her plight, even if she doesn't know it."

She was using logic, and he hated logic, years of university training had made him want to pay attention to it. But that training also had it's own ugly side and that ugly side was warring and winning against this kind priestess's logic. He knew more about magic then these women, he also knew more about this girl then they could, and he was sure he could help, where they couldn't.

"The last thing this girl needs is to be clung to by a _man_." The Priestess emphasised and he knew that was true, but who else was there. These priestess's wouldn't be able to reach her with their magic, because hers was so different.

"Do you think she's going to let go in a hurry?" He wasn't going to surrender, but manners demanded this conversation be carried out. It would be foolish to insult a high priestess without reason, he had enough dealings with the religious leaders of the city to know how useful they could be at times.

"Damn it Numair, you know if you told her to go she would!" Alanna snapped, those eyes finally meeting his and he knew she wanted the Cat gone and out of their hair. He was hardly surprised, she'd been voicing concern about the Cat's presence since the beginning.

He turned his attention to the girl before him once more. She would do it, if he asked, or told, she was following him too blindly but he knew he couldn't abuse that trust. If she didn't want to be left here, and if he didn't think it was in her interest there was no reason for her to leave him.

Eyes turned to him, storm grey eyes turned up to him with a pleading desperate expression. If he asked, she would go, and she didn't want him to ask. He nearly smiled at the complete surrender in himself.

"I'm sorry, Priestess, Alanna, but she stays where she is." He kicked the horse into motion without a pause, without looking to see their expressions. He would not betray this creature, he couldn't betray her. Spoken or not she wanted to be by his side, he was all she trusted just then and he would not break that trust.

The further the horse took them the looser her grip became, and the more her body began to relax telling him just as he knew, that this was the only right decision for her.

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	15. Fifteen

Daine followed him carefully, becoming more jittery the further into the stone walled building they went. She knew it was a castle, strangely enough her mind found that word with ease, but it didn't stop her cautious nature from overtaking. There where too many corners, and no animals, too many places to hide and no one to warn her. But she was following him, so she knew that in a way she was safe.

He weaved a path she would never remember passed numerous doors and archways, but it was almost entirely empty and they came across no one. It might have been the hour, she had observed that two-legers liked to all be awake at the same time, and that was not now, not while the sun was down and gone.

He opened a door, motioned her in and she had to hesitate, because the last room she had been in had been her home for too long and it had not been a nice home. But seeing his concern, his soft expression and acceptance she rallied her nerves and proceeded him through the thick doorway.

The room was nice, she noticed immediately. No hard scents to block the soft wooden smell of furniture or ink and paper. She liked it straight away because it smelt like him, but she wasn't daring to do anything but wait for further instructions. So she crouched in the middle of the room, eyes on shelves of books and odd things she had never seen before, and he stepped in behind her.

She stiffened at the sound of the door latching and stayed that way until he was beyond her. Even his scent was not calming in this foreign environment. He was watching her as he sat on a couch and she wondered what she was supposed to do now, what he expected of her.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It's too late to set a room up for you, that can be done tomorrow. You'll have to sleep on the floor or the couch, which ever appeals to you."

If more then two words had made sense to her she would have been happy, but as it was she was tired and strained and he was using words that where too much for her. Slowly her head began to hurt, the stress of the day catching up with her and she could only watch him with the hope that he would make it clear, without human words, what he wanted of her.

He seemed to understand because a sigh escaped him, one of long sufferance and mild annoyance. Then methodically he stood from the couch he had been seated on and began to rearrange the things on it. Pillows and cushions to one end, a folded blanket from elsewhere in the room thrown across it. Then he motioned and she understood, this was where she was to rest for the night.

She knew beds well enough, having been locked away in a room with two for so long. She understood their purpose, no mater how little interest they held for her. She could sleep on a hard wood floor with better ease then on these soft cushions and pallets the humans kept putting her on.

He seemed to be waiting so she went to the bed he had made and with careful attention fixed on him, set herself on it's surface. She didn't like beds, the things that had happened on them, and with a man so close to her she couldn't help but fear what might happen. It was an irrational fear, since he had done so little to harm her since their first meeting, but it was nature built into her. They had abused her for years and a few weeks would not override that so easily.

He gave a smile, a soft sort of sorry smile and touched her head. She went to jump back but he only ruffled her hair for a second before the touch was withdrawn and he was leaving her alone.

She went to follow, body tense. Right then she might have been scared of him but she didn't want to be left alone. However she didn't follow, instead she waited to see what was happening and if he might be returning.

"Go to sleep." He instructed, closing himself into a different room and leaving her alone. She shifted for a bit, tested her weight and checked the room over carefully. She didn't touch anything careful of the foreign things that littered the tables and shelves of the room. She might not have known what they where but she knew they where related to magic in some way and was unwilling to tamper with them.

Instead she took her perch on the makeshift bed, eyes wide and ears alert. Even at this late hour there was noise and lots of it. Not the soothing hustle of nocturnal animals seeking their meals or mates, but a jarred clanking and rustle of humans in action. She knew there weren't many moving, but every noise pried on her nerves and every one pumped adrenaline into her system. She was too used to the enemies of the world, and offset by the building and room around her she was unable to relax.

She wet her lips, tried to focus on the noises that where nearer to herself, and hopefully more relaxing and found her attention slowly shifting to the room where he had gone. She could tell he was asleep, the rhythm of his breathing had become familiar to her and she knew from it when he was indeed asleep. She focused on that noise, the noise of him, as best she could and tried to forget everything else. He would let no harm come to her, she simply knew it.

What began as a simple task of listening slowly took over her attention and shifted it's purpose. She though she might sleep better once the noises stopped, but she found herself slowly wanting to check on him, to be able to see him as well, because if she where in the same room as him she would be far more secure. So she shifted in her spot, but remained where he had put her. She knew he did not want her to follow him, she knew as well that she shouldn't do it, so she tried to keep herself still and obedient.

It was when her fingers started to twitch that she surrendered the fight reasoning that it would not matter anyway. So slowly she began her move, silent and cautious, pausing at each step before pushing on. She did not want to wake him because he would send her away and she would never find the comfort she needed. But he was sound in his sleep, gone to the dream realm where he could not be disturbed and she relaxed with this knowledge.

Than with careful attention she removed the dress he had made her be so careful of, laying it as reverently as she could across the back of a chair before settling on the bed beside him and quickly falling into a relaxed slumber.

..o…o…

…o…o…

…o…o…

Numair woke with a warm body pressed against his own. He released a breath of tension when he noticed the feel of soft sheets and blankets about him. He was in safety, which meant his own tower or the castle, he didn't care which. The body beside him, he didn't worry about, though absently his arm twined around it and drew it a little closer.

He tried to keep his thoughts clear, unwilling to wake so soon when he was in safety but his mind was too used to the demands of the roads and was quickly trying to sort out whatever it thought needed sorting.

He fought valiantly against the wakefulness penetrating the lazy haze of sleep and decided who ever she was, she would distract him better than anything else could. He rolled towards her, his nose finding that nook between her shoulder and neck without opening eyes and he breathed in the scent there.

Clean dirt and musk, something fresh and unusual for his bed companions. He didn't mind, it was a soothing smell, he twisted himself below the blankets further towards her, feeling the crush of material on material where their bodies met. Even with his head buried into her throat he raised a brow in surprise. He could not remember ever dressing after the act, it was too much energy after such vigorous exercise and the press of flesh on flesh was usually a nice morning wake up.

He was still too asleep to explore the oddity, his mind focused solely on distraction as he considered the manner in which waking his companion would be the most fun for them both and the most distracting for him. His fingers began to trek, shifting across the cotton dress she was wearing towards her thighs when the intrusive pounding on his door broke through the room.

He tried to ignore it, lips touching just lightly on the woman's neck when the sound repeated with quick inpatients. He groaned rolled away from the woman and flung an arm over his eyes. He had just been getting ready to enjoy himself, and he did not want to open the door.

"Numair!" Was shouted through the door without Alanna's usual anger, or at least the anger she harboured a lot recently. She was loud, but she was only trying to wake him.

"What?" He shouted back, not willing to stand yet. It was obvious he was in the castle if Alanna was there, although her husband lived close enough to his tower she rarely had a chance to visit these days.

"Open the door." She replied with another thump. It was a dullish noise, his main door not his bedroom door being pounded upon and the concerned thought that the noise would started the Cat came to him. He sat up casually, ready to check on her when he spotted the woman beside him. She was still asleep the blankets and sheets exposing her shoulders and showing the underdress he had only just brought for her, and it was defiantly his Cat.

Still asleep himself he didn't reach reprimanding straight away, instead his brain had time to sort out that the Cat had spent the night by his side, and he had been, moments before, ready to initiate a sexual encounter with her. Of course he hadn't known it was her, and had assumed it was a woman he was already intimately familiar with so there had been nothing incredibly wrong with his thoughts. But sitting over her as he was, looking down at brown curls and a peaceful expression he found that nagging, betraying wish that Alanna hadn't interrupted.

That's when he began the reprimanding.

The first thought, that he was depraved was easy enough to accept - he was getting used to that thought while in the Cat's company, the second that she may have scratched his eyes out was mollifying enough, and the third that she was a victim of rape who could have been traumatized waking to his hand and mouth doing what it pleased to her was horrific. He regretted everything in an instant: that he didn't think before he acted, that he hadn't realised sooner, that he may not have been interrupted until it was too late.

With quick agitated movements he moved himself off the bed, grabbing at the closest breeches on his floor and pulling them on aggressively. He positively hated himself at that moment, and could not think of a single redeeming factor to consol the hatred.

He stomped out of his bed room to the main room and without preamble flung his door open to meet Alanna's expression. She didn't look angry at first, but with a glance at his expression she scowled.

"Don't give me that look Numair. It's past lunch as it is, and we've been called to the evening assembly." Her voice was defensive and gripping the edge of the door Numair forcefully reminded himself that it was no ones problem or fault but his own.

He licked his upper lip in concentration and schooled his features as he stepped aside for Alanna to enter. She only raised a brow at him, half curious half sceptical then her eyes scanned the room and settled on him with clear curiosity. "Where's the girl?"

"In my bed." He snapped. She raised a brow and he shot it down. "Get her dressed, she may as well come with us." He ground out, and still curious Alanna pushed passed him into the sleeping chamber. Not until he had closed the door to his room and Alanna had closed the door to his sleeping chamber did Numair begin to feel the tension leave his body.

He walked across the room to a shelf of books and lent his head against the cool leather bindings his foot threatening to kick the bottom shelf but propriety stoping him from damaging anything pointlessly. He felt his breathing begin to calm with his back to the situation, felt himself allow the guards to fall with Alanna in the picture. He reasoned with himself that it wasn't a problem, that tonight one of the maids would be able to arrange a room for the Cat away from his. Tonight she would be able to sleep safely.

Just as the last bits of tension where leaving him with his plans for her preservation the door to her bed room clicked open. He turned to face the doorway and noticed first Alanna leaving the room and then the creature behind her. But 'creature' wasn't the right word anymore, because the Cat was on her hind legs, walking with barely a shake to her movements and robed in a soft green dress that was, although not priceless, fitting and pretty. His Cat had a look of uncertainty in her eyes, though it faded when she noticed him and a beautiful smile slid to her features, a kind of proud displaying smile because, he knew, she had kept the dress in perfect condition just for him.

He barely managed a smile for either lady and moved past them as casually as he could so that he too could dress for the evening assembly. Tortall may have been fighting a war but the nobles still liked to play their games in fine robes while drinking expensive wines, and both he and Alanna where considered part of their ranks.

..o…o…

…o…o…

…o…o…

Daine shifted her weight uneasily, blue-grey eyes fixed on the people before her. Numair a few steps forwards was at ease, his figure which had suited their travels so well had blended into this room of silk and wealth.

Daine was out of place, she knew it and so did everyone staring at her.

Her dress was as pretty as the other ladies, all silk and green with a suffocating waste and a dipping chest. She personally didn't like it, she couldn't move properly, couldn't hide as well and absolutely couldn't feel comfortable. But He had given it to her, he'd smiled when she wore it, laughed and asked her not to mess this new one up and she couldn't fight that. A feeling inside her chest told her that anything he asked of her she would give him, she owned him that much at least.

They had been speaking for some time, the humans she knew and these strangers. The ones she knew though, Alanna and Numair talking the most of the group, relaying chunks of information in a fluid depiction she could not follow and did not care to.

Daine wasn't paying close attention to them, the few words she had gotten from the speaking where pointless and frustrating so she had turned her attention away and instead tilted her head to listen to the whispered of mice and other animals in the shadows of the room.

"And who-" something in the tone made Daine look to the speaker "-is this charming young lady?" The man who seemed central to the whole group asked in a soothing voice.

Daine shifted anxiously as more eyes turned to her, more attention fixed on her figure. She felt her hackles rise, her mind already knowing where the escapes where and her body ready to bend to get her there the fastest way possible. The mice and cats of the room suddenly paying attention to her spike of fear.

She watched the strangers with alert attention. Knowing the people clustered in other groups about the room where too far away to attack and that none of the humans she had met so far would venture or succeed in an attack against her. She analysed the strangers now; a man with pure black hair and dark blue eyes leading the group in conversation, a small girl -eight or nine- just a few steps behind him watching with intent curiosity, and behind the girl a large man, bulky and dangerous with scars wrapped around his wrists like tattoos. There where others in the group, but Daine knew like any creature where the greatest dangers lay.

"She's one of the women from the Debac estate." Numair responded with a guarded voice. The tone made Daine more flighty, more uncertain of what power these strangers held and how that would be used against her.

"I would have thought they would be turned over to the temples." The black haired man commented rubbing at his beard thoughtfully.

Daine saw Alanna take a breath to respond, saw the black haired man look to her ready to hear, but Numair blocked whatever she had been ready to say with his own reply. "The rest where, you majesty. But she has needs they couldn't deal with" his seemed to hesitate before pushing on "magical requirements."

"Magic?" The black bearded man tested intense blue eyes fixing on her in a discomforting way. A brow quirked and he looked to Alanna for a brief moment then back to Numair, clearly uncertain.

"Magic your majesty-" Numair began, clearly ready to argue, but whatever words he was going to say where cut off by the movements of the young girl. Everything in the room froze as the girl stepped away from the large guarding man behind her and towards Daine.

"What's your name?" The girl asked with a gentle smile on her lips, eyes showing the kind of curious sympathy that didn't belong on such a young things face. No matter the expression however, Daine was aware of two things. She was being approached and she was being watched in tense silence – by everyone.

Daine felt her chest constrict wanting to back away, knowing somehow it should not be done. Her eyes went to Him, and he was looking back at her curiosity in those dark orbs. She wondered if he wanted to know her name, and if she even remembered it. In voices almost forgotten, her mother, her grandfather, taunting voices of village children, and the kind ones of friends - in those voices she could almost hear it again.

She thought maybe he wanted to know, but before these grand people covered in unfamiliar scents she knew she couldn't try the way she did for him.

"Mostly she's called Cat." Alanna in a light purple dress still smelling of the road and horses spoke. "She doesn't speak Kalasin." Was added as an aside.

"She doesn't speak?" The girl asked, her face showing pity and curiosity all in one. She took a step closer and the people around her tensed further. Daine jittered back, the tension scaring her more than the movement but she was caught before she could go too far back by the look in Numair eyes. "Why doesn't she speak?" The girl asked, no longer moving, just watching.

"She has been much abused, Princess." Numair informed the young girl carefully. Daine shifted towards him thoughtlessly, knowing he would keep her safe from whatever strange danger this girl presented. "And silence is perhaps a better friend then she has ever had."

"Where is she from?" The innocent curious question.

Daine jerked to stare at the girl. The question was answered in a second in her mind, 'Snowsdale' ringing through her mind. That name, that knowledge it was trying to rip her apart. Fire and tears fought for control of her eyes, her body coiling tighter, shaking. She tried to push it away, tried to keep it under control but the forest was calling her and she knew in its fold she would be safe, they would all protect her because the People could never harm her.

"Your majesty-" Numair's voice broke the call and she looked to him pleading, begging for him to save her and although he was looking back at her, he was addressing the small girl, "-step away."

And the girl did, taking her steps backwards, carefully until she was under the protective shadow of the dark looming giant again. Daine paid her little attention though, focused on her anchor, on him instead, because right then she knew she was close to slipping away forever.

"It's okay," he soothed as he moved towards her "your safe here, Cat." She backed from his approach then paused realising what she was doing and how silly it was to do with this man. This man who would never harm her, who she had sworn she was do everything she could for.

"She seems a bit wild." The main speaker of the group observed, his voice edged with warning as he stared her down with vivid blue eyes again, but Daine paid no attention focused instead on Numair as he reached out to her and drew her into the safety of his proximity. Not an intimate hold, barely even a friendly one, but his hand holding onto her own calmed all her nerves without effort.

"From everything I've seen she is." Alanna replied dryly her eyes focused on the connected hands with another of her frowns etched across her brow.

"Wild- your majesty, but not dangerous." Numair asserted, despite the flicker of doubt in Alanna's eyes and the feeling of uncertainty from the crowd around them. Daine just ignored them, drawing as close as she could to him, knowing the wild would not call to her when he wanted her by his side.


End file.
